I love the catfishing idea as well!

Jacoby referred the study conducted by Edinburgh's Roslin Institue... have any of you read this? If you have a copy, please send it to me as I have only seen the synopsis work up on this one.

They injected bee venom and acetic acid (vinegar) into the jaws of fish and observed them. The study was conducted well with some interesting control and observation methods. They observed the fish reacting to a stimulus by rubbing their face against the gravel and delays in eating.

This was then interpreted to be... pain. Hmm, let's see, can you define pain? Presence of nociceptor cells (cells designed to react to negative stimuli)? Fish have them, humans, mammals, birds, etc. But does that mean nociceptor reaction is pain?

How about a sedated human whose body undergoes nociceptor reactions during surgery? Is that pain? I would venture it isn't, just an automated response to external stimuli.

How about the presence of certain portions of the cerebral cortex? Mammals have it.... but fish do not. Hmm, this is the same area that lights up under MRI during painful stimuli.... fish do not possess it.

So now that we have some scientific data on this..... is the view of fish feeling pain based in science or rhetoric? If it is based in rhetoric, why promote it?

As you can see, then AR groups don't need any more ammunition to find a reason to take what we love. But then again.... this is how they work, ply to your sentiment then push the rest of the way with the "We really just only want to stop C&R, not any other form of angling."

Are you willing to be decieved?

Robert J.