Asking
Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

Do fish have feelings?

If you’ve eaten and enjoyed squid and/or octopus, does it bother you to know they are intelligent creatures?

Somehow it bothers me less to eat meat that comes from a dumb animal, like chicken or cow. But that doesn’t make sense. Who decides how dumb is dumb enough?

My dad took us fishing several times when we were little and I saw what happened when we caught one, the hook going through its face, its body wriggling like a tongue. The first time, maybe 4 years old, I cried.

“They don’t feel pain the same way we do. This doesn’t even hurt this little guy,” said Dad. He was absolutely firm in his answer, and at that age I always believed him.
Top | New | Old
BamPow · 51-55, M
I have no idea what they feel or don’t feel. I’m an avid fisherman, but my intention is to actually cook and eat what I catch. I’m not really interested in fishing and throwing them back. It needs to have a purpose for me to do it.

During the pandemic, I basically subsistence fished and was in the river almost daily. Last fall, I went to Alaska and fished coho salmon outside of Juneau. We caught 18 of them and brought home three cases of salmon filets, which we’ve been working our way through since. The market value of the salmon paid for the trip in my estimation. Not to mention a fishing trip to Alaska is an incredible experience.
I go fly fishing a lot. My dad told me the same thing. But everytime I catch a fish, I can't help wondering about the terror that fish must feel when it is being hauled out of it's home with a hook and a line, and all it thought it was doing was getting a bite to eat.

Anyway, I try. I always catch & release, and I order barbless flies, or I file the barb off of the hook. I never use live bait either.
InstructHer · 61-69, M
Not usually but having read recent books on octopus intelligence I am rethinking that. I have only ate it abroad, as pulpo, maybe no longer.
Thinkerbell · 41-45, F
"This doesn’t even hurt this little guy.”

I was told something similar when I was a little older, maybe 8 or 9.

I didn't believe it, and never went fishing again.

Hasn't stopped me from eating fish, however.
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
@Thinkerbell The key is to end the animal's suffering as quickly as possible. No reason to let the poor thing drown when you can knock it on the head and end its misery.
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
I hate it when people say that about any animal. It's obviously not true. Pain is something we all feel, because it's a way for the nerve endings to tell us something is wrong. That's why when I catch my own food, I try to end its life as quickly and mercifully as I can.
I truly understand and believe that
marybmom · 26-30, F
They feel a little slippery when you catch them, a little rough when they dry out and you clean them and really satisfying whe you scrap their bones off the plate.
This comment is hidden. Show Comment
GerOttman · 70-79, M
Are they actually fish? I thought they were different, like cephlopods or something.
JackDaniels · 46-50, M
Never really thought about them having feelings.
Doomflower · 41-45, M
Yeah fish absolutely have feelings.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
What about pigs?
Rokan · 31-35, M
No im not bothered to fish smart or not.
RuyLopez · 56-60, M
Does the fish question the intelligence or feelings of its food?
Zonuss · 46-50, M
All animals have feelings.
Sheep are as dumb as a box of rocks... taste pretty good too if it's cooked properly.🤷‍♂😆
Fish don't strike me as all that intelligent.🎓
AthrillatheHunt · 51-55, M
There’s a hierarchy of life forms .
easyvicky · 31-35, F
I'm convinced I have met people less smart than a chicken or cow.
@easyvicky Some here.
@easyvicky They definitely exist.
This comment is hidden. Show Comment
Moneyonmymind · 31-35, M
Idk why but I instantly thought of lobsters
Vetrov · 61-69, M
https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/latest/news/octopus-farming-in-spain-sparks-global-concern-over-animal-welfare/
Ferise1 · 46-50, M
Yes it’s cruel and wrong
Ferise1 · 46-50, M
Suffocation is the worst pain imaginable

 
Post Comment