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The Negative Effects of Fish Consumption: Why Fish Matter
As humans, we acknowledge the inherently sinful act of slaughtering another human; therefore, it
should also http://www.instructables.com/id/ENQCLRJI4SCLN80/ be inherently sinful to slaughter
an animal "unless there is some morally relevant difference between humans and animals" according
to philosopher John Hill. This difference has been reduced to the basis of experience - scientists
often look to the development of the neo cortex, responsible for thought processing and higher
intelligence, to determine the ethicality of meat consumption and proper animal treatment. Animals
served on the dinner plate are close, neurologically, to that of humans. In this instance, there is little
difference between http://www.dailymile.com/people/brentwpeterson/entries/31579717 humans and
the animals humans consume.
The question now arises as to the difference between the terrestrial animal and the marine animal.
An explanation for this is inherent in the location of the animals - land and sea. Humans, land
creatures, are capable of relating to mammals like themselves, while they are unable to relate to a
creature swimming in the ocean with gills, such as a cod. To many, the ocean is an abstract entity,
an unknown abyss which houses incomprehensible obscure creatures. For this reason, a salmon or
trout may not be ranked equivalently on the societal imaginary ethical scale with
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina,_California cattle. As Ken Montaigne states in a National
Geographic piece, "If the giant bluefin lived on land, its size, speed, and epic migrations would
ensure its legendary status, with tourists flocking to photograph it in national parks. But because it
lives in the sea, its majesty--comparable to that of a lion--lies largely beyond comprehension". The
world has struggled to comprehend the majesty of aquatic life. An international uproar on the
protection of ocean animals did not occur until the late 1960's before which society only viewed
marine life as a commodity.
Today, there is still a lack
http://harborcentremarina.com/ of an
enforced international policy regarding
commercial fishing, while at the same
time, there is little focus on the ethical
concerns of fish consumption. The ocean
constitutes 70% of the world's makeup
making it an integral and necessary
aspect of human survival. The barrier
separating land and sea must be broken
in order for society to ascertain the
detrimental effects of fish consumption.
.Whether willingly or forcefully, many children have been dragged along with their father for a
Saturday afternoon of fishing- here they experience the pensive process of waiting and the
anticipation as the rod begins to fling itself forward, bending over into the water's edge. Then finally,
that moment when the floundering fish is reeled in, struggling with the hook in its mouth as it
attempts to take its last breath out of water. The hook is removed and the fish continues to flail on
dry land, seeking the refuge of the salt water. Slowly the life drains out of the fish, its movements
become few and scattered until they end entirely. Two fingers are placed inside the gills and the fish
is carried home; that same fish, just a few hours later, is served on a set of dinner plates and

2.
engulfed.
This could be a pescatarian - a fish consumer who does not eat meat. The reasoning behind this diet
is inadequate in supporting the claim of a pescatarian diet. While fish may provide key omega 3 fatty
acids, adverse health effects are plausible due to pollution and mislabeling. At the same time,
environmental factors that influence land animals exist at the ocean level as well. Many species are
overfished due to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Most importantly, a conclusion
regarding pain perception in fish is still widely unknown. New evidence demonstrates an activation
of the genes involved in higher intelligence when fish are presented with noxious stimuli.
Ignorance, a lack of policy making and incomprehensibility has enabled this diet to gain popularity
and has placed the value of fish on a lower level to that of terrestrial animals. The ocean covers 70%
of the world and 95% of this great mass has yet to be investigated. The ocean is not an exploitable
resource that can be expended for its commodities - it is an integral part of this earth that must be
preserved, maintained and investigated. The consumption of fish is contributing to the detrimental
effects on the millions of aquatic animals living in the wondrous sea; for this reason, a pescatarian
diet lacks the integrity of a true vegetarian lifestyle. Next time that salmon, cod or lobster is placed
in front of you, think twice before indulging in these soon to be rare creatures.
http://alyssagoesgreen.hubpages.com/hub/The-Negative-Effects-of-Fish-Consumption