A campaign against angling featuring a poster of a dog hooked through the cheek has angered anglers. The poster carries the message, ‘if you wouldn’t do this to a dog, why do it to a fish?’
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the American based animal rights group, has targeted Britainfor this shock campaign in a bid to follow up to the expected ban onhunting with hounds.
The organization, with around 700,000 members has assets of£ 30 million.
The British campaign is being organised later this summer byPETA’s anti-angling co-ordinator, Dawn Carr. Carr said, “Whilefishing may seem fun, it’s important to remember that on the otherend of the line is a terrified animal fighting for its life. Weexpect our United Kingdom campaign to do very well.”
TV adverts, like one used in the States, will feature a scoutcalling for a ban on fishing.
The NFA described the campaign as outrageous, and Jack Charltontold the Sunday Telegraph, “I don’t go fishing for dogs; what arethey on about? I don’t know whether fish feel pain or not, but Idoubt it. I certainly don’t believe they feel pain in their mouths.
“They do everything with their mouths, including hunting. If themouth was that sensitive, then they’d be in trouble from more thanjust fishermen. There are fish and chip shops everywhere and fish arecaught all round the world to feed people – it’s just a fact of life.
“We have to eat something. These people don’t like the fact thatfishing is a sport. Nine times out of 10 I throw the fish I catchback and I sometimes spend days on a river and catch nothing.”
And the RSPCA commented, “It is not our policy to campaign for aban on fishing but we do recommend that it should be as humane aspossible.”
