Dear HCN,
Ted Williams in his essay
on fishing said that “What so offends the animal-rights crowd about
catch-and-release is that there can be no motive other than fun”
(HCN, 5/25/98). This statement, while true, only gives half of the
reason. The other is much more important and
severe.
When a fish is hooked and put back in the
water it will bleed. Fish, being scavengers, will prey on the
bleeding fish and actually eat at the wound. The author did end his
article with a story telling about how he hooked himself once while
fishing. I am sure that this was probably painful, but am almost
sure that it didn’t hurt as bad as being eaten alive. He also asked
why a fish who had been hooked and released would bite the hook
again. The answer is common sense – food.
The
“sport” of fishing, whether for food or fun, is cruel. The author
of this article obviously knows the pain of being hooked, and yet
has no problem with inflicting that pain onto another living,
feeling being. As a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals, I guess I am one of the “weird,” but a person who knows
the pain of fishing and chooses to ignore it can fit that category
as well.
Sara
Luchenta
Salt Lake City,
Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline It is cruel to fool a fish.
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