PETA's Letter

[Guest]

This was posted on another web site last week by a friend of mine - it's worth reading.

January 15, 2002

William Morrissey, Director
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Parks and Recreation Division
500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155

Dear Mr. Morrissey:

On behalf of PETA’s more than 750,000 members and supporters, as well as thefish, birds, and other animals that make Minnesota state parks their home, we respectfully request that fishing be banned in all Minnesota state parks. According to an article in U.S. News & World Report ("Parks in Peril," July 21, 1997), the park system is bending under the pressure of encroachment, underfunding, overcrowding, and pollution. Eliminating fishing and its harmful effects would take some of this pressure off of the parks and their inhabitants.

The violent process of fishing and its consequences do not complement the peace and tranquility of a state park. As you know, fish have a neurochemical system like ours and thus the brain capacity to experience fear and pain. Fish who are torn from the water suffer from being impaled, thrown, stepped on, or mutilated while alive. Many die slowly and painfully from suffocation.

Fishing has other victims, too: In one case among many, a young bald eagle was found by the National Park Service, near death because of injuries to his feet caused by fishing line that had cut through his flesh, resulting in a systemic infection and intense suffering. He required intensive daily care for three months before he was successfully released. Not all animals are as lucky. Millions of birds and other animals suffer, and many die, from injuries caused by discarded fishing hooks, monofilament line, lead weights, and floats. Animals who become entangled in fishing line are often trapped underwater and drown or, unable to feed, die slowly of starvation. In fact, many wildlife rehabilitators tell us that fishing litter is the single greatest cause of injuries to aquatic animals.

Minnesota state parks have traditionally made the compassionate choice to ban hunting, and we are asking you to take the next step. Fishing is just hunting in the water. The tide is turning on sportfishing with the widespread recognition of the sentience of fish and the desire to live a more compassionate, less harmful life. After reading the enclosed materials, we hope you will make the decision to ban fishing in Minnesota state parks and turn them into true havens for all.

Please contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Dan Shannon
"Fishing Hurts" Campaign

[Sarge]

Yeah,I have seen this a couple of places.

What can you say? To reply only gives them more attention, which they don't need.

To say nothing, you give no defense to thier ridiculous idealism.

[Guest]

I think letters - plenty of them to Mr. Morrissey and others in the Fisheries area discounting PETA's unrealisitc request and what fishing and access to fishing in our state parks means to anglers wouldn't hurt either.

[james_walleye]

If fish have the ability to feel pain...someone explain this. The walleye that you hook on live bait....gets off halfway to the boat...and when theres a bit of crawler still on the hook...grabs the bait again. Someone explain this. These people come up with some of the craziest crap i've ever seen.

[Guest]

I have already fired off e-mail messages to my state senator and rep in St. Paul urging them to beware the influence of peta. I urge all hunters and fisherman to do likewise.

[Guest]

I caught the same wealleye three times in three drift passes on Lake Oahe a couple of years ago.

It broke me off time number one. I caught it within 5 minutes on the next pass. This time I landed it. I saw the red Gamakatsu hook and magnathin line coming from deep in its gullet. I released it and caught it again on the next pass.

That fish was more tired than in pain.

Fish have the brain the size of a pea. If they could feel, have the reasoning ability of humans, and have the capacity to question their existance, why do we humans have such a large brain when we could have gotten by with a brain the size of a pea?

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND