to think fishing for sport is cruel?

[littlemisssarcastic]

and wonder why anyone would derive any sort of satisfaction from catching a fish, only to remove the fish from it's habitat, gaze at it, possibly weigh it, have their picture taken while they grin and the fish suffers, and them throw it back again, only for some other cruel fisherman to come along and do the same thing??
Surely the hook must cause the fish pain? Doesn't the fish feel frightened?

IA probably BVU, but what is the actual point?

I can understand why people may fish for food, but what is the point of fishing just to upset/harm/frighten/cause sufferance and pain to an animal??

Seriously, I don't get it!! I also don't understand how anyone can feel pride fishing for sport?
I've heard the argument that the fish doesn't feel any pain, but where is the evidence to back this up? I'd be very interested to see this.

Can any keen fishers out there explain to me please? I am quite sure there is something I am missing. AFAIC see, If I was a fish, especially a fish in designated fishing grounds, I'd rather be caught, killed swiftly then eaten, than be repeatedly terrified and made to suffer for the enjoyment of the fisher. What exactly is so enjoyable about fishing for sport? What exactly makes a fisherperson feel proud when they are fishing for sport?

AIBU to judge someone because they fish for sport?

My DH, a fisherman, tells me they have no nerve endings in the bit where the hook goes and they are always released.

It's one of the oldest hobbies ever and I doubt we'll stop it now.

PS I don't think it's been proven that fish feel emotions such as fear.

I'm with the OP on this 100%! My OH tries to justify it with the same kind of arguments as YouOldSlag's husband does, but I think it's an atrocious travest of a "sport" and is undeserving of the name.

A fish may/ may not be able to feel fear, but they sure as hell gasp for "air"

and apparently if you handle them with dry warm hands it is painful for them too :(

YABU

Quote:
"Since fish have the same nerve endings and the same chemicals for transmitting and blocking pain and a brain structure which allows processing of pain signals, it is beyond doubt that fish feel pain.
An example of behavioural indications of pain was a study which injected irritant chemicals into the lips of fish. The fish displayed increased respiratory rate, avoidance of hard pelleted food, rocking behaviour and rubbed their lips on gravel and the tank walls. When morphine was administered to the fish, the incidence of these behaviours was reduced."
From here

Has it been proven that they don't feel fear? Essentially, pain and fear of pain helps us to avoid killing ourselves. There are humans in real life who don't feel pain however they often die young and damage themselves severely, they have to be extremely careful. It makes evolutionary sense to feel pain and to fear pain to ensure our survival so I would assume until proven otherwise, that animals and fish do too.

I have never understood fishing TBH. DS1 took it up and all was going well until we realised there was no way he was going to pick a fish up and unhook it.

I don't see how having a hook in the mouth isn't painful either.

I have argued this many times before. I think if fish were able to scream or cry out in pain people would have a very different view of fishing.

They suffer in silence and so it is deemed widely acceptable

My Ds 9 goes fishing with my dad,they bang them on the head and then we eat them.Have a freezer full of trout.I think more kids should do it as a habby,teaches you a lot re nature and where our food comes from.People have been fishing and eating fish since time began you know that saying "teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"......

hobby

'Bang them on the head'.

It kills them instantly the minute they come out of the water,can't see the problem myself-then it's trout and almonds for tea.Yummy!

I'm in the catch 'em and eat 'em camp - don't see the point in doing it otherwise. Took DS (5) fishing in the summer and he loved it.

YANBU
Fishing to eat fine.
Fishing to threw them back

Fishermen are also unspeakably rude if you are canoeing and scowl at you for daring to push your pushchair up the tow path making them move their precious stupid long poles.

Ban the lot of them.

Sparkling I take it you're veggie,we're not.If it's any consolation we only eat freerange chicken and eggs.

Fish lack the brains to feel pain

I'm not saying that I agree with this article, just pointing out it is very hard to find impartial info on the web. I do not see msrisotto's link as being impartial either.

The catch and release scheme exists to prevent fish numbers becoming too low.

YANBU

There has been research into this and the findings are that fish DO feel pain and that injury to their mouths causes them distress.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12816648

No Polka. Weirdly though I don't eat fish/seafood because I don't like it much more than anything. I suppose a bash on the head is more humane than drowning in air though thinking about it.

Absolutely agree, fish to eat. Nothing should be caught for 'sport'. Utilise it and make it's death as quick and pain free as possible.

I am not anti fishing, just against prolonging the death of the fish or unhooking it to throw it back.

There has been research into this and the findings are that fish DO NOT feel pain.

www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Fishwelfare/Rose.pdf

Sorry FlaminNora , I'm not trying to pick a fight, just trying to make a point about how easy it is to pick and choose your viewpoint. Both websites look very legit to me.

www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Fishwelfare/Rose.pdf

Sorry, here's the live link.

Except that is a link to what is effectively someone's opinion (although a very educated one). Whereas the one I linked was to the findings of a more recent, controlled, peer reviewed, scientific experiment.

I think people just go to fisheries to get away from their families