Do fish feel pain?
Read the answer here:
[url=http://www.allkayakfishing.com/articles/pain.html:a679b]http://www.allkayakfishing.com/articles/pain.html[/url:a679b]
Migs
according to FLyfisherman Mag. a while ago, there is no Neo-Cortex in a fish’s brain to carry nerve signals to. It’s an interesting debate, but i don’t really care. I’ll keep fishing! I suppose this makes sense, and i’ll read the below article to find out more.
Still Fishing regardless,
RL
[This message has been edited by RL (edited 20 April 2005).]
The way I see it in my unprofesional opinion, what other sport can search out an animal and catch then release, besides for fishing? You cant when you hunt deer/birds and such. So either way if thats all they experience is a bit of pain for a short while, its better then a garanteed kill with every catch.
[This message has been edited by Tim S (edited 20 April 2005).]
“Although it is concluded from the foregoing analysis that the experiences of pain and emotional distress are not within the capacity of fishes, this conclusion in no way devalues fishes or diminishes our responsibility for respectful and responsible stewardship of them,” Rose said.
Does that mean we can eat them?
rocketman
Absolutely!
RRhyne56
[url=http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com:b6a02]http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com[/url:b6a02]
IM = robinrhyne@hotmail.com
Fly fishing is a blood sport. To the question, “Do fish feel pain?”, my answer is, Does it matter?
Allan
I disagree with your comments tieflies, my idea of a bloodsport is either a sport where a kill is the end result, or results in a kill of a non edible species. Neither of these apply to fishing of any sort, and especially not to fly fishing.
Work is a means for people to afford their fishing.
Garic,
I’m not sure I understand your definition. You mean to say that fly fishing does not result in a kill? Even the most conservative of fly anglers accepts that, although not intended, in C & R areas there are some fish that do not make it after being released.
Bloodsports do not have to have a desired outcome of a kill. Among these, boxing comes to mind.
Allan
Don’t worry fellas, once they’re dressed and in the freezer they don’t feel a thing.
Fishing the Ozarks
I accept what you say tieflies, and agree with the possibility of an accidental kill of some fish, my point was that it is not the only outcome available. As for boxing, I do not put that in the same category at all as both parties are willing participants.
Work is a means for people to afford their fishing.
Here is a link that is worth a look by all of you questioning this. Dr. James Rose here at UW concludes that they do not feel pain. I’ve seen his presentation on it a few times, and it is more than convincing that they don’t feel what we think of as pain.
[url=http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/Zoology/faculty/Rose/Rose%20Rev%20Fish%20Sci.pdf:d83ec]http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/Zoology/faculty/Rose/Rose%20Rev%20Fish%20Sci.pdf[/url:d83ec]
The best answer I have ever seen to this question, I read about 3 months ago. My apologies to the auther who’s name escapes me at the moment…If a fish felt pain like you and I do it wouldn’t eat-bluegills, crayfish, helgrammites, etc.
If you are still not sure think about it this way. On the few occasions I’ve had the misfortune of having to remove a sharp object from a dog or cat (not fish hooks), or another person (occasionally fishhooks) they react to that object being wiggled around as I try to remove it. Cats and Dogs will pull their paws away, move their faces (porcupine quills) etc. They are clearly experiencing pain. Humans are capable of making a conscious effort of controlling this reaction, even though you know we experience pain you usually can observe this tendency in others. I have never seen a fish react to me removing the hook. They react to many kinds of stimuli, but I have never seen them react to this particular stimuli. A fish has reasons OTHER THAN PAIN to pull on a line when they are hooked, to squirm to get away when removed from the water (though now that I am more experience I remove them from the water far less), but the only reason I can attribute to reacting to the removal of a fish hook is pain, and they just don’t do it. I know from experience that the slightest switch of a fish hook I remove from my own flesh causes a lot of pain, I had to remove a hook from my wife’s ear yesterday, and had to get her to lay down on the ground and hold her head to keep her whole body from squriming, yet the fish does not move it’s jaw, tail or any other part of it’s body to react to the same stimuli.
Science tells me that fish do not have the right parts of the feel pain, but since none of us has ever been a fish we can’t say for sure. There is often that little nagging doubt when we make proclaimations about things we can not experience ourselves. But in this case, my observations of fish also tell me that fish do not feel pain, when I’ve got science and my own observation both telling me that fish don’t feel pain. . . well, I’ll put it this way. . . I don’t lose any sleep over what the fish feels.
Do animals feel pain, I should hope so, I hate to think us humans had a monoploy on the pain market.
Fishing, Hunting, Trapping are blood sports.
The fish, hamburger, steak, pork chops, chicken, turkey, ect; once were living animals. The leather for your boots, shoes, belts, wallets, purses, coats; came from animals.
I am not about to become a vegetarian, and start eating Tofu, and drink Soy Milk. I like my eggs basted, my bacon crip, my meat medium, and my fish broiled or sauted. I like my vegetables cooked but slightly crip. My potatoes soft. My whiskey straight with a glass of water on the side, and my beer cold.
~ Parnelli
Down in the bottom of the Itty Bitty Pool.
Swam Three Little Fishies, and a Mommy Fishy too.
“Swim”, said the Mommy Fishy, “Swim if you can!”
And they, swam swam, all over the Dam.
[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 22 April 2005).]
I’m going to Parnelli’s for dinner! We have similar taste. I wonder if veggies feel pain?
Dear migs,
Who cares? They are fish, it’s not like they have the right to vote.
This is perhaps the dumbest question I have ever seen posted on this, or any, message board.
Watch out for that dandelion that is struggling to survive on your lawn when you go to get tomorrow’s newspaper.
What’s next? Thinking about fishing and catching a fish is the moral equivalent of doing the same?
They are fish, if they were supposed to win the game they would eat us. They don’t, even in saltwater. End of story.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Sorry Tim, we are not at the top of the food chain in saltwater. Ever hear of sharks?
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
I can think of a few that felt some pain this morning…
I think that if you start this question you are obliged to carry it thru to it’s end.
In the end we would have to ask if plants feel pain. I have also heard of studies where polygraph machines were hooked up to plants while they were cut and burned. These studies showed that there was a reaction. Even more, there were reactions to the plants next to the plants that were damaged while the damage was being done.
I guess the real question is… What’s your point?
Rusty <><
if you wanna catch something ya gotta get a hook in the water
LF,
…we are not at the top of the food chain in saltwater. Ever hear of sharks?
Reminds me of this image we saw here a while ago 
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/:9b3ae]http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/[/url:9b3ae]
[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 23 April 2005).]