PETA Asks Pike Place Fishmongers To Not Throw Fish

SEATTLE -- PETA is urging the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to cancel a fish-throwing demonstration by Pike Place Fish Market fishmongers at an upcoming Seattle convention.

In a letter sent to the AVMA, PETA says if the demonstration is to be held then they will provide rubber fish in place of the real fish.

PETA says that "fish are intelligent, sensitive animals who deserve better than to be torn from their ocean homes, only to have their corpses used as toys at a convention of veterinarians."

The veterinarians have not yet responded to PETA.

An assistant manager at the Pike Place Fish Market, Justin Hall, says workers there respect fish because it's their livelihood and they take pride in having the best seafood.

Here's PETA'S reply

For Immediate Release:
June 9, 2009

Contact:
Lindsay Rajt 757-622-7382

Seattle-- Today, PETA sent a letter to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)--the nation's largest organization of veterinarians--urging it to cancel plans to have representatives from Pike Place Fish Market hold a fish-throwing demonstration (with audience participation) at the upcoming AVMA Convention in Seattle.

In the letter, PETA points out that fish are intelligent, sensitive animals who deserve better than to be torn from their ocean homes, only to have their corpses used as toys at a convention of veterinarians--the very people who are charged with helping and protecting animals. Numerous studies have shown that fish not only feel pain but also learn tasks, have long-term memories, use tools, and show affection. They suffer enormously when they are dragged from the sea in nets or are impaled on hooks.

PETA has offered to send convention organizers rubber fish to use in place of real fish and has posted an action alert on its Web site PETA.org urging its members and supporters--including many veterinarians--to express their concerns to the AVMA.

"It's cruel enough to eat fish, but it literally adds insult to injury to use them as toys for silly stunts," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "The AVMA should be siding with animals, not with animal abusers."
For more information, please visit PETA's blog.

But plants don't have feelings, so that makes it okay.

I got the latest from the DVM...lol

Janet

Schaumberg, Ill. -- The AVMA hasn't bitten on PETA's request/protest to change a planned fish-throwing demonstration at its annual meeting next month.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to AVMA June 9 asking the national association to reconsider the use of dead fish during the event.

PETA declared in a statement that fish are "intelligent, sensitive animals who deserve better than to be torn from their ocean homes, only to have their corpses used as toys at a convention of veterinarians." The animal-rights group offered to send convention organizers rubber fish to use in place of real ones. PETA's request already has garnered headlines around Seattle and at some national news outlets.

Workers from Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market were scheduled to demonstrate fish-throwing during the AVMA meeting in July.

"They've been around for years, and they've taken it beyond a tourist attraction and made it a business for corporate team-building activities," says AVMA's Dr. Ron DeHaven. "We think it's a very relevant team-building and motivational tool for our membership, but I think this issue has surfaced because of a fundamental difference of principles between PETA and AVMA.

"They are clearly coming from a vegetarian standpoint," he adds. "We support the use of animals for purposes such as food and fiber, but there is no stronger advocate for animals that veterinarians and AVMA."

The fish-throwing display planned at the meeting re-creates the work of fish- market workers who toss the meat across the counter to a fishwrapper who catches the fish and packages it for a customer. The Pike Place Fish Market has been as success because of the attitude of its workers and their ability to create a fun working environment, engage customers and work as a team to maximize their output, DeHaven says. These are the same principles veterinarians should employ for a successful practice, DeHaven adds.

"Those are some of the basic principles that the Pike Place workers have brought to the workplace, and they use the fish-tossing event as a way of delivering that message. It's much more about those principles than it is about tossing fish," he says. "You could make the argument that, while the fish still have all their parts attached, it is not much different than a steak or pork chop. It's not meant to be disrespectful to the animal."

AVMA hasn't made a decision yet on whether to use fake or real fish during the event, DeHaven says.

"I think they are trying to capitalize on the difference between AVMA and PETA and the fact that AVMA is planning on hosting this event as a means of garnering a lot of publicity, which they have succeeded in doing," DeHaven says.

Oh for pity's sake.. those "vegetarians" are not of the sound mind. They are discrediting the REAL vegetarians. I was a vegetarian almost since childhood, not because of the 'cruelty factor' but because I just didn't like eating meat. I am still happy eating spaghetti with cheese or tomatoe but when now I make bolognaise it contains beef.
The human body needs protein to function properly!
Look at vegans and they have a shallow complexion and usually bad breath!
l now as then step over daisies on the lawns as I don't want to 'hurt' them.

Having said all that, PETA are nuts and nuts definitely do not have any rational thoughts.

hexie

The vets have made their decision.....lol

Janet

SEATTLE, June 13 (UPI) -- The American Veterinary Medical Association says fish-tossing will take place at its upcoming convention in Seattle despite opposition from activists.

AVMA Chief Executive Officer Ron DeHaven said while an animal-rights group opposed his association's plan to embrace the fish-tossing tradition of Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market, the effort will go on as planned in July, The Seattle Times said Saturday.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals spoke out against the association's decision to have market fish-throwers attend the July 11-14 convention as part of a team-building program.

DeHaven said the three fish to be used in the convention event will be dead and will eventually be used for human consumption.

The Los Angeles Times said DeHaven was also concerned that if his group had capitulated to the demands of PETA officials to cancel the event or simply use rubber fish, there may eventually be repercussions.

"The vast majority of our members would support the use of fish for this purpose, and if we are perceived as caving to political pressure from PETA, there is vulnerability for us there, and I don't want to ignore that," he said.

Just for the record:

• Fish caught around here aren't torn from their ocean homes. They're gently lifted, in a net, then swiftly sent to the great fishy beyond by a compassionate, humane bonk on the head.

• Seattleites would love to toss cattle and pigs, but as any out-of-work Boeing engineer would be happy to illustrate, they lack the necessary aerodynamics. Have you ever tried to pitch a rump roast over the heads of tourists at Pike Place?

• We respect PETA activists' cause, but wish they would stick to their highest and best use, namely getting Hollywood celebs to bare their tushies on the PETA Web site.

LAKE MARY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - The video of President Obama swatting and killing a fly during a television interview has caused controversy among animal rights activists. Dan Shannon, a PETA spokesperson, discussed his groups stance via telephone.

FOX 35's Mike Dunston asks Shannon what plenty of our viewers were asking: What's the big deal about what the president did?

They are at it again.....Janet


Lewisburg, W.Va. -- In a landmark case, two West Virginia men have been convicted of cruelty to animals after they were indicted on charges stemming from PETA's fall 2008 undercover investigation of Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.'s turkey factory farms. The decisions mark the first time in U.S. history that turkey-farm workers have been convicted of cruelty to animals. Edward Eric Gwinn and Scott Alvin White, two former Aviagen employees, each pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges following an investigation conducted by the West Virginia State Police, which used PETA's documentation of the men's assaults on turkeys. The assaults injured the birds and led to their slow deaths. A Greenbrier County grand jury issued 19 indictments for cruelty to animals against Gwinn, White, and Walter Lee Hambrick--whose case is still pending--in February. The terms of the defendants' sentences are as follows:

* White admitted to shoving feed down a turkey's throat and maliciously breaking a turkey's neck. On June 8, he was sentenced to serve six months' consecutive jail time on each count in the Southern Regional Jail. Should the court reconsider White's sentence at a later date, the state will ask that he be prohibited from owning, living with, or working with animals for five years.
* Gwinn admitted to stomping on a turkey's head and slamming another turkey to the ground. Today, he was sentenced to serve six months' concurrent home confinement on each count and was prohibited from owning, living with, or working with animals for five years.

PETA anticipates that the Monroe County grand jury will issue additional felony indictments against White and Hambrick in September.

"Greenbrier County prosecutors have set an important precedent for cases involving cruelty to animals on factory farms, whose abuse has often gone unnoticed," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "To all those good people who are appalled at the violence uncovered in this case, we suggest exploring a vegetarian diet."

I sure am...

Beth


SPOKANE, Wash. - The national animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has challenged Spokane Mayor Mary Verner to put a stop to not only a long time Spokane tradition, but a national one as well.

PETA has requested Spokane halt its annual professional Fourth of July fireworks display, held in Riverfront Park and instead host a laser light show.

The request follows an incident on this year's Fourth when Spokane Police K-9 Officer "JJ" was startled by the fireworks and escaped from his kennel at the police training center.

In a letter to Mayor Verner, PETA requested that Spokane make an effort to protect dogs, like JJ, by halting the annual display and introducing a more quiet version.

"Animals don't know that fireworks are supposed to represent 'bombs bursting in air'-they only know that they're loud and threatening," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "By switching to laser shows, Spokane can wow spectators and protect pooches and other animals at the same time."

PETA says that animals don't realize the explosions are entertainment and they do extreme things in an effort to flee.

A spokesperson for Spokane says the City appreciates PETA's opinion, though JJ escaped as a result of illegal fireworks being set off, not because of the city's professional fireworks show.

The spokesperson says if there is enough concern from city residents, officials will take a look at different options. Otherwise, the city believes most citizens enjoy the show and has done its part to protect land, property, people and animals by banning fireworks for the past 17 years.

JJ was found the next morning.

Why the heck do you think our Trevor escaped from a British turkey and chicken farmer>>>???

We have mostly immigrants or migrants working at Bernard Matthews, I know it's nowadyas
mostly portuguese spoken, used to be Eastern Slav countries (they neverr even cared about human lives)

.... they don't bother to learn English!

Now let me out this into perspecive...... Bernard Matthew hired East Europeas for some years because they don't 'care about killing animals'. Under pressure he switched to West Europems and Portugal, a very poverty stricken country, responded. Fine. No problem. Except I can see there is a new community evoling...... they speak Portuguese anad I tell them they are rude! I make comments in German and whatever bit of Dutch i can remember and, so far, I have kept my voice low! But I dont' want a "portuguese colony" in Britain anymore than others. Get my point ------ if in Rome.......?

As for the Bernard Matthew business........ he can't get Brits to treat his birds cruellly - so he hires 'deserparaty impoverished foreigners' ARE YOU STILL BUYING HIS BIRDS AND IF SO FOR WHAT REASON?
hexie

Do these nuts ever give up?

Janet

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is calling for tens of thousands of pythons believed to be in the Everglades to be hunted and killed, a proposal blasted by animal rights advocates.

Nelson sent a letter on Tuesday to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, asking for permission to have deputized agents and volunteers kill as many of the snakes as possible during an organized hunt.

The senator's request comes after a 2-year-old central Florida girl was strangled by an unlicensed pet python in her home.

Nelson hosted Salazar on a tour of the Everglades last month, in which he advised the secretary of the python problem. He estimated as much as 100,000 of the snakes may be in the park.

In response to the senator's proposal, officials from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals suggested that Nelson focus on banning the import and private ownership of pythons.

"Because as long as individuals are allowed to acquire these exotic animals, they will continue to be abandoned outdoors and attack humans," PETA said in a statement obtained by FOXNews.com. "These animals have ended up in Florida through no fault of their own, and they should be dealt with in the most humane way possible."