Vegetarians
don’t eat fish and they
never have. Many things have changed since The Vegetarian Society was
founded in 1847 but two important definitions haven’t:
“
VEGETARIAN” – someone who doesn’t eat animals
“
FISH” – cold-blooded, water-dwelling animal
Fish may not appear as cute and cuddly as young lambs, however they do
feel pain and they do suffer.
The
number of fish left in our oceans has rapidly declined. Over the last
century
the world’s annual fish catch has risen from
18 million to over 90 million tonnes. Sixty million tonnes of this is
destined for human consumption, the remainder fed to livestock (fishmeal)
amongst other uses(1). The UK alone contributed 708,000 tonnes
in 2005(2). An estimated 23% of the total catch is discarded (dead) as
a result of
incidental capture(3). Almost half of the fish consumed as food
worldwide are now intensively raised on fish farms (aquaculture)(1).
Fishing
is threatening the world’s populations of cetaceans (whales,
dolphins and porpoises) and overfishing has left species including tuna,
plaice, monkfish and cod in danger. Fishing also affects other wildlife
such as seals, birds, turtles, mink and otters, along with coral reefs
and aquatic plants. The worldwide demand for fish continues to rise and
its impact is getting worse.
(italicised
numbers in brackets indicate references)
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