You can't put the hurt on fish

The Fishing Geek · 02-09-2003, 06:24 PM

No really, you can't. In the largest study of fish ever, scientists have concluded that fish cannot feel pain.

PETA disagrees, but that's to be expected.

GutshotApe · 02-09-2003, 06:41 PM

Well, they sure seem to feel it when I set the hook and they sure seem to show fear when they see the boat and my landing net......so I'm skeptical.......altho it would be nice if the study is correct. :whazzup:

AuntyM · 02-09-2003, 07:21 PM

Hmmmm..... I could have sworn this was fishing related. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

The Fishing Geek · 02-09-2003, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by the linked article:
Professor Rose, 60, said that previous studies which had indicated that fish can feel pain had confused nociception - responding to a threatening stimulus - with feeling pain.

"Pain is predicated on awareness," he said. "The key issue is the distinction between nociception and pain. A person who is anaesthetised in an operating theatre will still respond physically to an external stimulus, but he or she will not feel pain. Anyone who has seen a chicken with its head cut off will know that, while its body can respond to stimuli, it cannot be feeling pain."

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">In short, it's a natural reaction to something that might harm it, and not fear, that gets them to react to the hook, the boat, the net, etc.

Awareness is the big litmus test here. They are saying that fish do not have enough mental capacity to be aware.

AuntyM:

If you feel that this thread does not belong here, then please go ahead and use the moderator alert function of the boards and they will assess the situation accordingly.

STGRule · 02-09-2003, 08:12 PM

As somebody who has caused a great deal of "science" on fish, I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that fish feel pain. Some things that I would be sure would hurt do not elicit a response. Other things that don't appear to be that bad will cause the fish to thrash. It has nothing to do with my expectations, only the procedure. You can put all the studies in the world in front of me and reality will prevail. They feel pain. It is probably not "suffering" as we know it, but just plain ordinary pain.
It would only make sense that they do feel pain. It is a survival point. If you do things that hurt you, you don't survive. If you don't have the mental capacity to know what will and won't hurt you, you just have to have things hurt so you won't do it again.

Yes, I did read it, I still don't believe it. From the trenches it doesn't hold true.

[ 02-09-2003, 09:25 PM: Message edited by: STGRule ]

bigfishon · 02-09-2003, 08:36 PM

If they do not feel pain they why do they tend not to come back after a lure stings them when they hit it and do not get hooked? In my opinion it is because they just felt pain and that tells them to stay away from it, I do not believe the they have much capacity to remember the pain, what caused the pain, or when the pain happend because usualy in 5 to 15 min they will strike again but for a period of time they shy back. I am no expert on fish pain, but I think genral observation says allot. Just my opinoin on the subject.

AuntyM · 02-10-2003, 06:46 AM

Quote:

AuntyM:

If you feel that this thread does not belong here, then please go ahead and use the moderator alert function of the boards and they will assess the situation accordingly.