Animal activists continually try to corral the acceptable methods and use of animals. Sometimes this is great. But sometimes, it seems more as if the intent is to handcuff human thriving–even materially restrict diets.
Now, we are being told that fish deserve the same welfare standards as mammal food animals. From the abstract of “Fish Intelligence, Sentience, and Ethics:
A review of the evidence for pain perception strongly suggests that fish experience pain in a manner similar to the rest of the vertebrates.
Although scientists cannot provide a definitive answer on the level of consciousness for any non-human vertebrate, the extensive evidence of fish behavioural and cognitive sophistication and pain perception suggests that best practice would be to lend fish the same level of protection as any other vertebrate.
Realize, that implementing such rules would mean the complete end of sport fishing, material and industry-destroying restrictions on commercial fishing, and tremendous burdens on fish farming.
Animal welfare is important. But so is human welfare. That too often gets lost in these “ethical” discussions.
LifeNews.com Note: Wesley J. Smith, J.D., is a special consultant to the Center for Bioethics and Culture and a bioethics attorney who blogs at Human Exeptionalism.
