Do fish feel pain?

While there has been increasing interest in recent years in the welfare of farm animals, fish are frequently thought to be different. In many people's perception, fish, with their lack of facial expressions or recognisable communication, are not seen to count when it comes to welfare. Angling is a major sport, and fishing a big industry. Millions of fish are caught on barbed hooks, or left to die by suffocation on the decks of fishing boats.Here, biologist Victoria Braithwaite explores the question of fish pain and fish suffering, explaining what we now understand about fish behaviour, and examining the related ethical questions about how we should treat these animals. She asks why the question of pain in fish has not been raised earlier, indicating our prejudices and assumptions; and argues that the latest and growing scientific evidence would suggest that we should widen to fish the protection currently given to birds and mammals.

Author Notes

Professor Victoria Braithwaite is Chair in Fisheries and Biology, School of Forest Resources, Pennsylvania State University. Her research investigates the evolution of animal cognition, focusing on fish learning, perception, and memory. She sits on the UK Government Animal Procedures Committee, has published numerous research articles, and written for the broadsheet media including the LA Times. In 2006 Professor Braithwaite was awarded the Fisheries Society of the British Isles Medal.

Reviews 1

Choice Review

This book is an excellent example of the type of information scientists should supply to the general public. The topic is important: do fish feel pain? How should the answer influence human behavior? The material is clearly set out--chapters deal with what pain is, the evidence that fish have pain receptors, and whether fish experience what might be called "suffering," the generality of the question across other animal groups, and whether the suffering of fish should influence people's behavior toward them. Braithwaite (fisheries and biology, Penn State) presents the scientific experiments on pain clearly and helps the reader understand the anatomy of fish brains and pain receptors. Then she offers other evidence, such as the influences that cause trout to come out of hiding, to show that these situations mirror ones in the real world of the animals. The author never preaches but simply describes the situations and the evidence, providing a guide for people, such as anglers, who will have to confront the ethics of their own behavior in the face of this evidence. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, general readers, and professionals. J. A. Mather University of Lethbridge