Northwest Fishing Reports

http://now.msn.com/fish-cannot-feel-pain-says-new-study

Scientists change minds, decide that fish can't feel pain.
You can sleep a little easier, Bassmasters: Researchers now say that fish cannot feel pain, even when they've been snagged by a hook. The study authors have surmised that when a fish thrashes after being hooked, it's an unconscious reaction, not a response to pain. Although fish have sensory receptors that, in humans, indicate feeling pain, our finned friends don't have the brainpower to "experience [pain] in any meaningful way." In this study, trout that were hooked and released quickly went back to feeding (or looking for food) which would not have been the expected response if they were in pain. Animal rights groups, however, say this doesn't change their opinion that fish would say "ouch!" if they could.

Lets try that on the animal rights group.

First hand experience, zipping open a few million while they're alive tells me they feel no pain.

About 2 weeks ago my husband caught a steelhead hen on the snoqualmie who took his eggs under a bobber. When he got her in we saw that she had a deep slash across her face that cut through her nasal cavity. Looked extremely painful but she still wanted to eat eggs???

I dont know if thats all that true that fish dont feel pain. Maybe not the same as we do but they must feel some pain. When I bonk a steelie or a salmon they twitch and shake for a minute. Steelies wiggle hard when you bonk em in their head. JMO but I feel that fish and all living creatures feel some pain. Even a worm. You cut a worm in half and the wiggling goes wild like a fish. I think all creatures warm and cold blooded feel pain of some sorts. Maybe not like the weak humans but some pain anyways. To me most scientists are a lil weird in their own way.Let me bonk them in the head real hard with a steel pipe and I bet they wont feel pain either.

This shouldn't be rocket science to figure out. Do fish have pain receptors? If yes, block the receptors and see if they react in the same way to painful stimuli. As to how fish internalize pain, well, you'd have to be a fish to say.

I would think that most all animals and very possibly plants feel pain on some level. It would be a natural defensive mechanism.

As I've said before, I've gutted literally millions of live fish, knife right up the anus, all the way to the collar and never a single one flinch. A bonk on the head is different, that will short circuit all nerve impulses and force them to wiggle. A fresh dead one will even wiggle if you give a good whack. Think about what happens when the Doc pops you on the knee to test reflexes.

As always believe what ever gets you through.

Don't care if they feel pain, I'm catching them for table fare, not to make 'em feel good. For trout, I slit and gut them within minutes of catching, then put them on ice. Sure do taste good that way.

hewesfisher wrote:Don't care if they feel pain, I'm catching them for table fare, not to make 'em feel good. For trout, I slit and gut them within minutes of catching, then put them on ice. Sure do taste good that way.

YUP!

Mike Carey wrote:I would think that most all animals and very possibly plants feel pain on some level. It would be a natural defensive mechanism.

That is why I always bonk my Broccoli before tossing it in the steamer...

Gringo Pescador wrote:

Mike Carey wrote:I would think that most all animals and very possibly plants feel pain on some level. It would be a natural defensive mechanism.

That is why I always bonk my Broccoli before tossing it in the steamer...

You're a thoughtful vegi eater Gringo, but they are already dead unless you took them from the garden. Anyway, as to fish, a quick dispatch and into the cooler works for me. BONK!

Gringo Pescador wrote:

Mike Carey wrote:I would think that most all animals and very possibly plants feel pain on some level. It would be a natural defensive mechanism.

That is why I always bonk my Broccoli before tossing it in the steamer...

el oh el!!!!

My grandfather used to fillet them live, sometimes the fish would still try to swim in the slop bucket with no muscle left, just a backbone and guts. Could never tell if that was just nerves twitching or if it was still alive and tryign to swim.
I can't bring myself to do things that way, my fish get bonked and bled out if they're going to be kept. Pain or not, that's the best way to go about it my opinion. Gutting them right away also sounds like a good idea, may start doing that.

Mike Carey wrote:

Gringo Pescador wrote:

Mike Carey wrote:I would think that most all animals and very possibly plants feel pain on some level. It would be a natural defensive mechanism.

You're a thoughtful vegi eater Gringo, but they are already dead unless you took them from the garden. Anyway, as to fish, a quick dispatch and into the cooler works for me. BONK!

I will dissagree with you on veggies being dead after cutting.I cut many trees for grafting and the live. Ive cut my broccoli down and it still grows. Both the flower and the rooted section. I still think all living creatures feel pain in their own way. Maybe not like our pain or a warm blooded animal but I think everything that is alive feels pain in one way or another. Everything feels pain in their own way. JMO. I also have cleaned many fish,processed crabs,sharks,you name it. I would bet they feel pain maybe not what we call pain.
If you cut a asparagus and dont blanch it before canning it ,it still makes growth enzymes or scabs.Same with peas or greenbeans. These veggies must be blanched to stop that enzyme from growing further. Again this is my opinion.
When you clean catfish or perch and lob their heads off the head is still alive and breathing. That has got to hurt the fish.

OK Gringo, chew on that! BTW, have you seen some of the research on plant growth as related to music and "positive thoughts" vrs. negative thoughts and harsh rock music? I know it smacks of New Age Thinking, but it does give one pause to reflect.

jd39 wrote:My grandfather used to fillet them live, sometimes the fish would still try to swim in the slop bucket with no muscle left, just a backbone and guts. Could never tell if that was just nerves twitching or if it was still alive and tryign to swim.
I can't bring myself to do things that way, my fish get bonked and bled out if they're going to be kept. Pain or not, that's the best way to go about it my opinion. Gutting them right away also sounds like a good idea, may start doing that.

Bleed 'em before doing any thing else. Way better meat.

Pretty sure that you have to have a central nervous system and some form of consciousness to be able to experience pain, otherwise everything is just a reflexive evolutionary response, which is what the article is saying is happening with fish. Broccoli has no such nervous system, so pain is not part of its life cycle. But if you want to argue from a metaphysical standpoint and say that all living things have a soul, trees plants and animals, then you're pretty much going to have to go to hell, or starve to death.

Pain or no, death is a part of the "circle of life"! I learned that when I was 4 from the Lion King. Things have to die for others to live, and fish are no exception to the rule. The sooner the feel-goodies accept that, the better they'll feel. Personally, I don't think that I'd be able to walk around with the deaths of millions upon millions of tortured souls on my conscience. I'd prefer lethal injection for my sins. I don't know how they do it!

Humans are likely to starve while debating whether or not their potential dinner can feel pain while the grizz next to them will walk up and eat the salmon alive. Natural selection at its best.... lol