PETA AU Global Issue 3

Shrimp illustration: © iStock.com/Artnivora Studiop

EYE-CATCHING ADS HOOK VIEWERS’ ATTENTION From buses and ferries to the London Underground, PETA reminds passengers and passersby that marine animals are sea life , not sea food . I

FOR SEA LIFE

I

S ince 1980, PETA has reminded people of a simple fact: Fish can feel. Pro-fish protests and campaigns by PETA and its international affiliates – from calling on aquariums to stop serving sea animals (SEA LIFE Brighton proudly displays PETA UK’s “Certified Fish-Free” certificate in its café) to warning parents, “Don’t Let Your Kids Become Hookers” – have helped wake people up to who fish really are. Memorable mascots like Gill the Fish, Frieda Fish, and even Elfish; a bevy of “mermaids”; and flailing “fish” blocking pet store aisles have spread the message that fish are individuals – not entrées or amusements. Stars are speaking out, too: Joaquin

Phoenix, Indian film sensation Amala Akkineni, and Australian actor Isabelle Cornish are just a few of the celebrities who have defended fish in PETA campaigns. Actions That Make a Splash PETA Honorary Director Alan Cumming schooled councilmembers in Scotland on the truth behind caviar when he sent them delicious CaviArt (vegan caviar) with a letter pointing out that breeding and killing fish “for a fleeting moment of taste is unjustifiable.” PETA Australia supporters netted global media coverage for protesting the Sydney Fish Market’s Seafood Marathon while wearing blue bodypaint and fishnetting.

Let Them Go, Petco PETA’s exposés of the betta fish trade have uncovered rampant neglect. At Petco stores around the US, dead and dying betta fish have been found floating in tiny cups of contaminated water, some left to languish with debilitating health

Fish ad: Photo – © Hongqi Zhang (aka Michael Zhang) | Dreamstime.com • “Dead fish” protest: © Steven Walker • Bird in fishing line: © Andrew Balcombe/Shutterstock.com

Fish Kiss? We know social media likes kissing gouramis, but in an experiment to see who’d get more love on Tinder, PETA found that made-up user “Alex” netted over 250% more “likes” as a trash fisher than as an average angler.

conditions. PETA Australia

“It is clear that there is ample evidence for pain in fish.” – Dr. Lynne Sneddon, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

secured a betta outcome for “pet” fish after persuading a shopping center in Geelong to stop sales of live animals. Faux Fish or No Fish! PETA “mermaids” baited Captain D’s and Long John Silver’s diners by giving away vegan fish fillets outside their restaurants to encourage them to offer vegan entrées. As more and more restaurants race to meet the growing demand for animal-free fare, PETA UK worked with popular take-away Simpsons Fish and Chips to add a vegan option. The company had originally planned

Take Action Now Visit PETA.org/WatchParty to find out how

• Eating sea animals is not “sustainable” – commercial fishers in the Gulf of Mexico killed more animals in a single day than the largest oil spill in history, Deepwater Horizon, did in months. • Nearly half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of discarded fishing nets. • Not only is no tuna “tuna-safe” – it’s not even “dolphin-safe.” Commercial fishers in certain areas routinely slaughter dolphins, viewing them as competition.

to offer vegan fish and chips only for World Vegan Day (November 1) and then for the entire month of November. Now, it’s a permanent menu item, and Simpsons says that “customers love it.” Take a Deep Dive Into Fishing’s Devastation Netflix’s hit documentary Seaspiracy goes below the surface to reveal the widespread death and destruction caused by the commercial fishing industry:

Global 17 to switch to fishless fillets, and leave positive Yelp reviews when they do. Go to PETA.org/Betta to watch PETA’s Petco exposé and find out how you can help. to host a Seaspiracy watch party. Order PETA’s free vegan starter kit ( PETA.org.au/VSK ) for recipes to make fish-friendly meals for family and friends. Encourage restaurants

16

CREATING A SEA CHANGE