Is fishthrowing unethical/cruel? (Update 2)
By now you've probably read or heard about the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' latest outreach/education effort: stopping Seattle's Pike Place Fish from staging a fish-throwing demonstration at the American Veterinary Medical Association convention:
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Leaving aside the point that we don't eat hamsters and cats, I ask you: is Pike Place Fish in the wrong because what it is selling and throwing used to be a living animal?
Throwing the fish began as a matter of practicality:
So that's the intent behind the custom.
You should also know that Pike Place Fish's claim to world-fame is not just the fish-throwing, but the teamwork and attitude that is demonstrated by the fish-throwing. It's a whole side business: the fishmongers travel around the Puget Sound region putting on demonstrations for businesses and nonprofit groups. I've personally been in attendance when the fishmongers made an appearance -- at an event staged by a marine conservation group -- and no one had the kind of reaction PETA is saying should be appropriate.
Of course, that's PETA's whole point.
So how about it? Is fish-throwing disrespectful to fish? Or is it the moral equivalent of a green grocer tossing you a zucchini?
Update 1 (6/12): Vets decline PETA request
Update 2 (6/17): "Gloves off" - PETA will protest at vet conference.
PETA has taken a stand against one of the most popular tourist attractions in Seattle - the fish market at the Pike Place Market that tosses salmon.
PETA heard that the American Veterinary Medical Association planned a Pike Place Fish Market demonstration at next month's convention at the convention center.
PETA sent a letter to the association saying people who care about animals are appalled fish would be treated as toys.
A spokeswoman for PETA in Norfolk, Va., Lindsay Rajt, says veterinarians should show compassion.
PETA hasn't heard from the veterinarians.
An assistant manager at the Pike Place Fish Market, Justin Hall, says workers there respect fish because it's their livelihood and they take pride in having the best seafood. Source
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(AP) A national veterinary association says it might use rubber fish instead of real ones if it goes through with a fish-throwing demonstration at its convention next month, following complaints from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
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PETA sent a letter earlier in the day urging the organization to cancel the event. "When the fish used in these 'tosses' are pulled up from the depths of the ocean, they undergo the excruciating pain of decompression," the letter said. "The intense pressure often ruptures their swim bladders and damages other internal organs. Then the fish slowly suffocate or are bludgeoned to death. Others are still alive when they are cut open. The fish toss celebrates cruelty to marine animals.
"Surely the AVMA would not describe an event as 'fun, educational and inspiring' if the animals being tossed around were lambs, hamsters, or cats," it continued... Source
Leaving aside the point that we don't eat hamsters and cats, I ask you: is Pike Place Fish in the wrong because what it is selling and throwing used to be a living animal?
Throwing the fish began as a matter of practicality:
According to the employees, this tradition started when the fishmongers got tired of having to walk out to the Market's fish table to retrieve a salmon each time someone ordered one. Eventually, the owner realized it was easier to station an employee at the table, to throw the fish over the counter. Source
So that's the intent behind the custom.
You should also know that Pike Place Fish's claim to world-fame is not just the fish-throwing, but the teamwork and attitude that is demonstrated by the fish-throwing. It's a whole side business: the fishmongers travel around the Puget Sound region putting on demonstrations for businesses and nonprofit groups. I've personally been in attendance when the fishmongers made an appearance -- at an event staged by a marine conservation group -- and no one had the kind of reaction PETA is saying should be appropriate.
Of course, that's PETA's whole point.
So how about it? Is fish-throwing disrespectful to fish? Or is it the moral equivalent of a green grocer tossing you a zucchini?
Update 1 (6/12): Vets decline PETA request
(From AP) American Veterinary Medical Association CEO Ron DeHaven said Friday his organization will proceed with a plan to host a team-building program offered by the famous fish-throwers of Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market. DeHaven said in a telephone interview that his group supports the responsible use of animals for human purposes, such as food - and feels veterinarians are the best advocates for animals.
"We're talking about three fish," he said. "The tossing is simply used to facilitate bigger purposes" such as motivation and team-building, which are valuable for veterinarians.
The fish are dead and are consumed after the program. DeHaven said his organization thinks human consumption is an appropriate use of fish.
PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt responded that fish feel pain and fear when they're caught. She called the "corpse toss" morally no different than tossing dead kittens.
"We're talking about three fish," he said. "The tossing is simply used to facilitate bigger purposes" such as motivation and team-building, which are valuable for veterinarians.
The fish are dead and are consumed after the program. DeHaven said his organization thinks human consumption is an appropriate use of fish.
PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt responded that fish feel pain and fear when they're caught. She called the "corpse toss" morally no different than tossing dead kittens.
Update 2 (6/17): "Gloves off" - PETA will protest at vet conference.
Tags: animal rights, ethics, peta, philosophy, seattle
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