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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us March 1, 2005 The Sustainable Kitchen Fish are human too - or are they? Stu Stein Let me start be saying, I was once a card carrying member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Once" is the crucial word here. I try to examine both sides of every issue, be tolerant of others' points of view and all that, but give me a break! Touting tofu chowder and vegetarian sushi as alternatives, PETA launched a novel campaign in November of last year. Are you ready for this? They argue that fish - contrary to stereotype - are intelligent, sensitive animals no more deserving of being eaten than a pet dog or cat. Called the Fish Empathy Project, the campaign reflects a strategy shift by PETA as it challenges a diet component widely viewed as nutritious and uncontroversial. I agree with the fact that breeding habitats need to be protected and we need to assure that fishing methods are used that prevent over-fishing, irresponsible bycatch and habitat destruction. Enter the Marine Stewardship Council. The MSC is an international nonprofit organization. It has developed a globally respected certification program that provides its label to fisheries that meet strict, independently reviewed standards of sustainability. But back to issue at hand. The part that makes me laugh about the Fish Empathy Project - and I must say a bit ticked off - is that PETA wants you and me to believe that fish are just as smart as dogs and cats. As Bruce Friedrich, PETA's director of vegan outreach said, "No one would ever put a hook through a dog's or cat's mouth." Now, my dogs can catch Frisbees, tell me when it is time to go out and occasionally jump up on the kitchen counter and steal a carelessly forgotten morsel of food. I've never seen a halibut do this. The campaign is in its infancy and will face broad skepticism to say the least. Major groups such as the American Heart Association recommend fish as part of a healthy diet and some academics say it is wrong to portray the intelligence and pain sensitivity of fish as comparable to mammals. Neuroscientist James Rose of the University of Wyoming said, "Fish are very complex organisms that do all sorts of fascinating things, but to suggest they know what's happening to them and worry about it, that's just not the case." National Fisheries Institute president John Connelly stated, "It's irresponsible to discourage people from eating fish at a time when doctors and dietitians advise eating it twice a week. If anything, we should be eating more fish." The really problem is that PETA's tactics are no laughing matter. Their activists are planning demonstrations at selected seafood restaurants nationwide and probably at a restaurant near you. PETA will also urge changes in commercial fishing practices, for example proposing that trawler crews stun fish before cutting them up. What is clear to me is that consumers who question the ethics of eating seafood won't be making their decision on the doorsteps of a restaurant. But I'm sure the picketing will garner the protestors their 15 minutes of fame on the nightly news. Eco-concerns certainly will continue to impact menu planning in 2005. People want to know and should know everything about the seafood they're buying or eating, not just whether it is wild or farm raised. With wild salmon out of season for months at a time, consumers alarmed by reports of PCBs, dioxin and other contaminants in conventionally farmed salmon consumers are wondering where to turn. The real answer is for suppliers, grocery stores and ultimately chefs to work closely with small, independent fishermen to find the best quality, environmentally-responsible seafood choices. In my opinion, one concern consumers can safely ignore is whether the fish they are purchasing is smarter than the family pet. And consumers who are so misguided as to buy that fallacy don't deserve to eat seafood. Let them have their tofu turkeys and tempeh hot dogs. Meanwhile, if this latest hair-brained campaign aggravates you as much as me, just remember this bumper sticker acronym: People Eat Tasty Animals. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams