Re: article on fish pain

[Chuck H <grendel at usit_net>]

Arthur wrote:

> Kind of interesting that people wondered if fish feel
> pain. Seems like it would be tough to survive if you
> couldn't recognize dangerous, noxious stimuli.

I would expect a variety of organisms, even some of very basic ones, to 
respond in some way to a chemical stimulus like a bee's toxin.  I wonder 
why only "some" of the fish displayed a "rocking" motion and not all of 
them.  What does "rocking" mean anyway, and what does it prove?  This seems 
like very poor science to me.  The question is interesting, but this 
experiment doesn't answer much that I can see.  Hard to tell from a blurb 
on a news page, though.


> Of course we all know that fish can be stressed. And
> of course, the PETA crowd is all over this.

But I noticed they weren't concerned about the bees which probably lost 
their lives in the experiment.  Don't bees have rights?  As far as I can 
see, PETA is more concerned about donations and self righteous, reactionary 
politics than animals.  Fortunately, their tendencies toward the absurd 
push them ever closer to total irrelevancy.  Extremism accomplishes little.


>  Fishermen
> first, we might be next.

Nah.  This study sounds inconclusive at best.  One might even suspect it's 
purpose was just to counter the conclusion of the studies conducted by the 
scientist in Wisconsin or wherever, which certainly does not favor the 
stance of animal rights activists.


> http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/04/30/fish.fear/index.html
--
Chuck Huffine
Knoxville, Tennessee

PS:  Arthur, have you decided whether or not you're going to restart the 
TAOPA list?