I am certain that many reading this would rather believe that fishes are unintelligent non-sentient beings given that most of you consume many forms of fish and fish recreationally and/or commercially. That theyвЂ™re, more or less, unfeeling meat sticks that donвЂ™t deserve animal welfare protections.вЂќ Given the excessive consumption of fish by humans and their violent deaths suffered at the hands of the commercial fishing and recreational industries, Carman is unfortunately correct. That their behaviors when stressed вЂ“ such as wiggling violently on a hook вЂ“ are just unconscious reactions, disconnected from the suffering of sentient beings. That their brains are not complex enough to experience pain.

The article stated вЂњThe idea that fish suffer runs counter to almost everything Americans have been taught about creatures of the sea. It could lead to major changes in the fishing industry. The Washington Post on published an article by Tim Carman titled Scientists say fish feel pain. They cooperate with one another and show signs of Machiavellian intelligence such as cooperation and reconciliation.One must conclude, therefore, that the level of cognitive complexity displayed by fishes is on par with most other vertebrates, and that if animals are sentient then one must conclude that fish are too.вЂќДЄ March 2019 article by Helena Bauer titled Fishes: The Forgotten Sentient Beings which was published in the Forum of Animal Law Studies stated вЂњObservations from nature strongly support the remarkable capacity of fishes to live a conscious life: they have excellent memory and use landmarks for orientation, recognize the different individuals in their shoal and remember their hierarchical status in the group.вЂќ The author also stated вЂњIn conclusion, all the observations described above (and many more) clearly give strong evidence that fishes areconscious, sentient beings вЂ“ and indeed since 2009 they are recognized as such by the EU in Article 13 TFEU.вЂќ stated вЂњFish are able to exhibit stress, fear, anxiety, complex learning and selective actions, assigning priority to their needs as a function of the situation without being programmed by us.вЂќ The authors also stated вЂњThe evidence for sentience and pain in fish is now abundant and clear.вЂќДЄ 2015 article by Culum Brown published in The Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy titled Fish intelligence, Sentience and Ethics concluded вЂњFish have very good memories, live in complex social communities where they keep track of individuals and can learn from one another a process that leads to the development of stable cultural traditions. Fish are sentient beings.вЂќДЄ 2018 article published in Animal Sentience titled Ample evidence for fish sentience and pain by Sneddon et al.

The evidence of pain and fear system function in fish is so similar to that in humans and other mammals that it is logical to conclude that fish feel fear and pain. Emotions, feeling and learning from these are controlled in the fish brain in areas anatomically different but functionally very similar to those in mammals. There is a wealth of scientific research that establishes that fish are also sentient beings.ДЄn Aparticle by Sturdy and Rogers found on titled Time to consider aquatic welfare stated вЂњBehavior and welfare research has turned to fish in recent years and found evidence they suffer and perform extraordinary natural behavior.вЂќДЄ 2016 publication in Animal Sentience titled Fish brains and behavior indicate capacity for feeling pain by Donald Bloom within the abstract stated вЂњAlmost all of the characteristics of the mammalian pain system are also described for fish. However, when it comes to fish, it seems as though many believe that they arenвЂ™t sentient and as a result recreational fishing and commercial fishing are justified regardless of the various fishing techniques and methods of killing and slaughter utilized. We want to believe their sentience is considered during their brief confined lives and that they were well treated, even though the overwhelming evidence is to the contrary. Most of us make the choice to have farm animals slaughtered so that we can eat them, I choose to believe that the majority of us think farm animals are sentient beings, intelligent feeling beings, more like us than not.

Fish sentience