| alekth said: Why would eating fish be any less cruel than other animals? It's just convenient that fish doesn't shriek, some suffocate out of water for minutes-half an hour. |
Standard response.
Anyways, since no-one has been very nasty in this thread I'll give you the philosophical reason that I adhere to: Different living entities have different levels of consciousness. Since the consciousness in plants are less developed (read evolved) their experience pain is much different. Furthermore, they don't bare the pains of losing a loved one like most animals do when a child is torn from them. I just watched BBC Nature's Great Events (beautiful on Blu Ray) and you see even the Mother Sea Lions feel deep pain when their little pup is pulled away from them. Spare me the explanation that because of evolution they developed these 'emotions' because it increases their chances of survival.
So there is a hierarchy of consciousness. The fish are below the land animals in this hierarchy (not including sea mammals like wales and dolphins). So they suffer much less.
I don't think the whole explanation will be read by anyone so I'll stop there. I'm sure this will make some chuckle. I don't care, protest as much as you want - I'll respond each time (if I don't get banned which might happen soon).
