Fish - who have you battered?
Fish, like people and other animals, can experience pain and suffering, as they have a brain and nervous system and pain receptors all over their bodies.
When hauled up from the deep, fish undergo excruciating decompression. The intense internal pressure ruptures the swimbladder, pops out the eyes and pushes the oesophagus and stomach out through the mouth. Fish caught in nets will die of crushing or suffocation, or have their bellies sliced open on the decks of the ships. So many fish are being caught at sea, that in many parts of the world’s oceans, fish populations are becoming endangered.
On commercial fish farms, salmon, trout and other species are reared in dirty, cramped, underwater cages and pens. Due to overcrowding, infections and diseases spread easily. Many become ill with painful lice, which eat them alive from the outside in. The industry tries to control the lice through the use of antibiotics and toxic pesticides.
