FISH & PAIN

[caveman]

WAS JUST LISTENING TO THE NEWS AND APPARENTLY THE FELLOWS IN THE WHITE COATS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT FISH DO FEEL PAIN NOW THE ANIMAL WRIGHTS GROUPS IN BRITAIN ARE CALLING FOR A BAN ON FISHING OVER THERE WHAT YOU ALL THINK OF THAT

CHEERS CAVEMAN

[Maxg]

The poms have been on about banning fishing for yonks. They even go as far as beating upon fishing contests. But its possible that fish feel something, but whether it is a pain sense as we know it, is another thing altogether. Nature seems to give animals senses that are necessary for the animal to survive in its own environment, and fishes are living in a pretty hostile world. They are both predator and prey, and are just part of the food chain. Under those conditions having a sense of pain as we know it, would not be an ideal situation. Our pain sense is more or less an early warning system, and we alone of the animals have the ability to effect repairs. Other species may survive injury, but mostly they do not, fishes rarely survive. Still its interesting that the scientists have decided that they do feel pain, depends exactly what they mean by pain. Something different from us I'll bet. They do suffer stress though, and often they die of heart attacks when hooked. Cheers Max

[Dominator]

I also heard about this "discovery" Caveman. I suppose that every creature would feel some pain if it had a hook in its mouth but you would never really know what a fish feels unless you were one. ??? ???

Cheers,

Dominator.

[jaybee]

Well if fish feel pain, how is they can crush oysters etc and have a good feed, how is they can dig their snout in the sand amongst all those broken shells for a feed. How is it they can eat bigger fish full of bones and sharp fins?? questions, questions, I know i feel pain if an oyster shell cuts my fingers, and if i stand on something sharp in the sand, however i have yet to see a fish with scars around its mouth from crushing oysters etc, when snorkelling i have seen big bream rip oysters from a rock that would make you wince...
stuff nose.

[Lucky_Phill]

Yes , people, but those Poms tested the Pommie Fish, and if they're anything like their League or Cricket Teams, they're sooks,

Not like our Robust, Animal Like Killer Snappers, who wouldn't be seen dead, having a cry about a little hook hanging out thier gobs.

[azza102]

Its very interesting. If they felt pain when hooked why would they fight?? Wouldn't they go with the pull???

[rick k]

Love that term 'white coat'.

And didn't another of them just a couple of weeks ago say that fish's brains were insufficiently developed for them to feel pain? Alas, can't remember his name.

He used the analogy of someone under anaesthetic; the respond to stimulus, but don't experience pain.

Pass the rum.

[team_mongo]

Do they feel pain - no.

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "the unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potiental tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage."

So is not only feeling the sensations of pain but also experiencing the emotions of such. It is very unlikely that fish feel emotions. In fact some people can have brain lesions which allow them to feel pain, but are not bothered by it at all!

That study showed that fish have stress behaviours to chemical irritants injected into their mouths. All living things, be it plants to humans, show some form of stress reaction to tissue damage, be it hormonal or behavioural. Studying behaviours as they have done, does not imply an emotional reaction to pain.

George