Fish as pets
 

Sympathy for the guppy: PETA campaign pitches fish as smart and sensitive
Tuesday November 16, 2004
By DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer
NEW YORK (AP) Touting tofu chowder and vegetarian sushi as alternatives,
animal-rights activists have launched a novel campaign arguing 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
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as it challenges a diet component
widely viewed as nutritious and uncontroversial.

``No one would ever put a hook through a dog's or cat's mouth,'' said Bruce
Friedrich, PETA's director of vegan outreach. ``Once people start to understand
that fish, although they come in different packaging, are just as intelligent,
they'll stop eating them.''

The campaign is in its infancy and will face broad skepticism. Major groups
such as the American Heart Association recommend fish as part of a healthy
diet; some academics say it is wrong to portray the intelligence and pain
sensitivity of fish as comparable to mammals.

Rest of the article can be found he
http://wcco.com/national/FishEmpathy...rces_news_html