Hook, Line, And Sinker

They call it the Fish Empathy Project. That is PETA's latest campaign. It's goal? To get us big bad carnivores to show a little love to God's finned creatures by not fishing or eating seafood.

"No one would ever put a hook through a dog's or cat's mouth," said Bruce Friedrich, PETA's director of vegan outreach. "Once people start to understand that fish, although they come in different packaging, are just as intelligent, they'll stop eating them."

Really? Tell that to the Koreans and Chinese!

But why are they seeking this goal (other than being fuzzy-minded leftists)?

"Fish are so misunderstood because they're so far removed from our daily lives," said Karin Robertson, 24, the Fish Empathy Project manager and daughter of an Indiana fisheries biologist. "They're such interesting, fascinating individuals, yet they're so incredibly abused."

Oh please.

Fortunately, scientists are ready to dispute this absurdity.

"Fish are very complex organisms that do all sorts of fascinating things," said University of Wyoming neuroscientist James Rose. "But to suggest they know what's happening to them and worry about it, that's just not the case."

Which is good. After all, I wouldn't want that fillet of sole or rainbow trout to have gone through an existential crisis between the water and my plate.

And even if they cannot get us to stop eating fish, the PETA people want "more humane" commercial fishing practices -- such as a requirement that fish be stunned before being filleted on commercial boats.

For a look at the "winners" behind this goofiness, jump back to Matt Forge's piece in the Entertainment section at Lone Star Times. And to think he didn't even need to work over with Photoshop the picture over with Photoshop!