Angling is a Blood Sport
Many supporters of fishing claim that fish do not feel pain and so getting hooked, landed and then killed or returned is not affecting their welfare. It seems obvious to people who are compassionate about animals, that fish do feel pain, now scientists have proved this to be the case.
Scientists at the Roslin institute in Scotland found that doing painful things to fish caused 22 neurons in the brain to respond. The firing pattern in fish brains looked much the same as neurons in humans that transmit the pain message. So fish have the neural hardware to transmit the pain message. To see whether these brain responses register as pain scientists in Cambridge University injected painful chemicals and saline (as a control) into the lips of trout, a commonly fished fish. They found that the fish which were injected with chemicals took longer to return to normal behavioural patterns than those injected with the control. The trout which received chemical injections rocked back and forward and rubbed their lips on the bottom of their tank, clearly a pain response.
The second claim made by those who enjoy fishing is that fish are stupid and only have a three second memory. Scientists have also been looking at this presumption and have found the opposite to be true. 'Fish and Fisheries journal,' Learning and Memory in Fishes: Why fish are smarter than you think (2003), fish are regarded as steeped in social intelligence, the report claims, pursuing Machiavellian strategies of 'manipulation, punishment and reconciliation'; exhibiting stable 'cultural' traditions; and co-operating with each other to inspect predators and catch food. Fish not only recognise individual shoal mates, but also monitor the social prestige of other fish and track the relationships of other individuals. They also use tools, build complex nests and can even exhibit impressive long-term memories.
So if fish are capable of feeling pain and smart enough to remember this (as well as other
things) then how can fishing be justified, or for that matter eating fish?
The simple answer is, it can't.
When fish are caught they suffer with injuries to the mouth which can hamper feeding once they are returned to the water. As aquatic animals they cannot breathe during the period they are in air and so suffer like we would when drowning. Being handled removes some of their protective coating causing problems when they are back in the water. Even fish which are not killed are at risk of death from the increased likelihood of successful predation once back in the water.
It is estimated that in the UK 3 million people participate in fishing for leisure. Many of these people are completely irresponsible and simply discard broken lines and other tackle. These then cause serious problems for water creatures including birds that become entangled or caught on hooks and may die. Even fishermen who make some effort to clear up after themselves don't go into the water to retrieve broken lines which are snagged on the opposite bank. The Environment agency promotes fishing and collects money from rod licenses, they pretend to be concerned about littering as a result of fishing and for the waterways. However, through their promotion of angling they increase the level of damage to streams and rivers and the animals which occupy them. The people they encourage to angle are causing fish pain and suffering and contribute to habitat degradation and reduce enjoyment for others using the rivers in none destructive manners.
It has been proven that fish are capable of suffering like other animals and are intelligent. There is therefore no justification for hurting or killing these creatures, merely because they are not as cute as many mammals.