I used to be a great fisherman, charter boats and supply fishing gear.
It wasn't until my boat sunk through neglect, almost killing five
customers that I realized how shallow, selfish and cruel fishing was.
We turn a beautiful, tranquil, natural setting into a horrendous
bloodsport and dont even realise it, how dumb can we really be, that
we never even think of the fish and other wildlife? Perhaps we know we
are just kidding ourselves?


HOW YOU CAN HELP

Angling is still a very popular pastime, because many people do not
realise that fish can feel pain and that therefore, angling is a cruel
sport. If we want to change this, it is important to educate people of
the suffering caused to fish and other wildlife. Anything you do, no
matter how small it may seem to you, will reinforce what others are
doing to help. Although with something this popular it will take a
long time before it is banned completely, everyone of us can speed up
the time when that day arrives.

Here is a selection of things you can do.

1. Tell your friends (especially any that go angling) what happens
to fish when they are caught and why angling is cruel. We can send you
leaflets and factsheets to give them. If you want more information to
answer any questions that come up, write to us and we'll help.

2. Give out Pisces leaflets and display our posters.

3. Write to the letters' page of your local newspapers explaining
how you feel about angling. Watch out for any pro-angling replies and
send them to us quickly so that we can reply to the points made,
and/or reply yourself.

4. Try to get the issue of angling discussed at your school or
youth club. Ask a sympathetic teacher if it is possible to arrange a
showing of our video 'Angling the Neglected Bloodsport", which covers
the main anti-angling arguments and was produced with school audiences
in mind. In many areas of the country we can provide speakers to come
to your school, show the video and answer questions. We can provide
details of pro-angling groups if your teacher wants to present both
sides of the argument. Alternatively, the video can be hired for the
cost of postage. Perhaps a teacher may be interested in setting
'angling" or 'bloodsports' as an essay or project topic and we can
send literature to students to help with this.

5. Ask if you can create a display on angling for your classroom,
the library or elsewhere in the school. Try to make it as colourful as
possible, with lots of pictures to attract everyone's attention,

6. Don't eat fish.

7. Extend your compassion for fish to other animals and take a
vegetarian or vegan diet. A vegetarian eats no meat, fish, fowl or
slaughterhouse by-products such as gelatine or animal fat. There are
now over 4 million vegetarians in the UK. Many people also go on to
become vegans, who are vegetarians who additionally do not eat milk,
eggs or anything produced from animals.

Why Vegetarian?
Did you realise that on average meat eaters eat 5 cows, 29
sheep, 822 poultry, 20 pigs and half a tonne of fish in their
lifetime? Most of these animals are kept in close confinement with
many other animals causing extreme distress and boredom to the animal.
All are brutally killed.

So Why Vegan?
Calves are torn away from their mothers at one or two days
of age so that we can have milk. Their mothers are overworked and
treated as breeding milk machines. They are kept permanently pregnant
so that they will provide more milk. Birds kept for eggs are usually
confined in battery cages where they can barely stretch their wings.
Most people keeping birds for eggs, even free range, will kill male
birds.

For useful tips and delicious recipes write to

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 10 Parkgate
House, London, SW18 4JQ, UK. 2QF
http://www.peta-online.org/

The Vegan Society, 7 Battle Road, St Leonards on Sea, E.
Sussex TN37 7AA , UK
http://www.vegansociety.com/

VIVA, 12 Queen Square, Brighton, BN1 3FD, UK
http://www.viva.org.uk/

The Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham,
Cheshire, WAI 44QG, UK.
http://www.vegsoc.org/

VeganVillage, devoted to cruelty free and ethical goods
and information.
http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/

8. Think of ways you can enjoy the waterways and help the
environment without catching or killing our wildlife.

9. Join Pisces as a youth member. This costs £4 per year. You will
receive regular magazines and a new members' pack including stickers,
posters and a badge.

10. Organise a fund raising event to help support our campaigns
work. There are an endless number of ways to raise money - a sponsored
event is one of the most popular. Why not do something positive for
the environment at the same time as raising money, for example,
collect cans for recycling or the litter clean up mentioned above
could be done with sponsorship per bag or per hour. Your local council
will be able to tell you where you can take steel and aluminium cans.
Pisces can print you an official sponsorship form for your event.

11. Get involved with your local animal rights group, who will
campaign against all types of animal cruelty, by leafleting, running
street stalls, attending demonstrations, etc. Some have specific youth
groups, but even if they haven't, they may be able to put you in touch
with other young people who are already campaigning. We can send
details of your local animal rights group. Alternatively, Pisces can
help you set up an animal group at your school or youth club.

12. Organise a Tackle/Litter Clean-up. You may like to read our page
about tackle/litter clean ups
http://www.pisces.demon.co.uk/litter.html
13. Dispose of your litter carefully, as it can be very harmful to
wildlife.

Pisces
BM FISH, LONDON, WC1N 3XX
Tel: 01792 464 176
E-mail
Web http://www.pisces.demon.co.uk/




Cheerio,