Do fish feel pain? (Fish are intelligent. How discerning is PETA these days?)

The St. Petersburg Times ^ | October 22, 2004 | Terry Tomalin

[101st-Eagle]

Fish aren't stupid.

Anybody who has watched a snook follow an artificial lure to the side of the boat then turn tail and run will agree that the old linesider can be a crafty opponent.

But are fish intelligent?

"Research has shown that fish are actually quite smart," said Karin Robertson, the fish empathy project manager for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Fish have many attributes that are often associated with higher primates."

Robertson believes that there is "nothing sporting about luring defenseless animals to their deaths with the promise of food," and is encouraging anglers to "turn in your tackle."

Now, before I address Robertson's statements, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I have been a veritable PETA poster child for the exact behavior Robertson and her colleagues deplore. A March 2001 column, "Confessions of a Killing Machine," which dealt with PETA's efforts to get the Boy Scouts of America to drop its fishing merit badge, was once featured on the group's Web site.

[101st-Eagle]

Outdoor editor Terry Tomalin nails PETA to the wall on their supreme knowledge of fish. No wonder they will take a blind eye to the hipocrisy of Kerry the "sportsman" with the type of logic they use here.

[rightwingcrazy]

Little fish eat worms. Big fish eat little fish. People eat big fish. The horror!

[101st-Eagle]

supreme knowledge < OFF SARCASM>

[Gibtx]

they have one neuron they have to share.... it is located between their legs....

[PeterFinn]

"Fish aren't stupid."

I agree. Compared to PETA activists and most MSM journalists my goldfish are pretty dang smart.

[Welsh Rabbit]

"Research has shown that fish are actually quite smart," said Karin Robertson

Define smart. It's such a relative term, and what does it change in the end?

[DSBull]

Yeah, Fish are regular Einsteins alright..Just the other day, I was walking around the local lake tossing a gig and caught the same fish 6 times..Genius? I should say so!

[101st-Eagle]

Yeah. Tomalin killed me this morning when he used some simple logic and threw in a little latin species terminology to leave the PETA woman scrambling for her "experts."

[101st-Eagle]

Well that's kind of the point. You have to read the full article to get the full effect of what he is really saying here. Although when comparing a snook to a mullet, I kind of agree there...And damn, I know some humans who would stick their same hand on the same stove over and over again just hoping for different results; say, like a typical dhimmie.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Would you like to swing on a star,
Carry moon beams home in a jar,
And be better off than you are,
Or would you rather be a fish.

[DSBull]

I know, I was referring to the PETA nutcase...and poking a stick at any PETA Trollers who might be present...

[101st-Eagle]

And yeah, my title should have said "not stupid" like his point not "intelligent" like her assertion. Typo.

[101st-Eagle]

My bad. Too much caffeine today I guess. I would never want to be confused with said nutcases. lol..

[DSBull]

saw right....never thought such a thing of a FReeper.

[r9etb]

fish empathy project manager

Uh Huh.....

[NewHampshireDuo]

Karin Robertson, the fish empathy project manager for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

I wonder what her resume looks like. (Fishy?)

[Sam Cree]

"Research has shown that fish are actually quite smart," said Karin Robertson"

Fish are only quite smart when compared to liberals. Otherwise they are dumb as a post. Some fish are cautious, which is an entirely different thing.

[MamaTexan]

PETA,

Humans didn't claw their way to the top of the food chain to eat TOFU!

[101st-Eagle]

liberal=giving a man a fish to eat for a day...

conservative=teaching a man to fish to eat for a lifetime...

[vie20000]

"fish empathy project manager"

hehehehe