DID YOU KNOW?

• Fish talk to each other with squeaks, squeals, and other low-frequency sounds that humans can hear only with special instruments.

• Fish like to be touched and often gently rub against one another—like a cat weaving in and out of your legs.

• Some fish tend well-kept gardens, encouraging the growth of tasty algae and weeding out the types they don't like.

• Like birds, many fish build nests where they raise their babies; others collect little rocks off the seafloor to make hiding places where they can rest.

• Some fish woo potential partners by singing to them, but male sand gobies, tiny fish who live along the European coast, play "Mr. Mom," building and guarding nests and fanning the eggs with their fins to create a current of fresh, oxygenated water.

Being Hooked Hurts!

A two-year study conducted by scientists at Edinburgh University and the Roslin Institute in the United Kingdom proved what many marine biologists have been saying for years: Fish feel pain, just as all animals do. Anglers may not like to think about it, but fish suffer when they are impaled in the mouth and pulled into an environment in which they cannot breathe. Said Dr. Lynne Sneddon, who headed the recent study, "Really, it's kind of a moral question. Is your angling more important than the pain to the fish?" If you fish or know someone who does, click here to learn more.

Fish Faux Fish or No Fish

Fish suffer horribly on the journey from sea to supermarket. Commercial fishing boats use huge nets, some stretching for miles, which swallow up everything—and everyone—in their paths. Fish come out of the nets with their skin scraped completely raw from being forced to rub up against rocks, debris—and other fish—trapped with them.

Fish flesh is frequently contaminated with mercury (which can cause brain damage) and toxic chemicals like DDT, PCBs, and dioxin (which have been linked to cancer, nervous system disorders, and fetal damage), as well as disease—causing bacteria. Why not try faux fish instead? Vegetarian products like mock fish filets, lobster, shrimp, and crab (available online at VegeCyber or May Wah) have all the taste of the “real thing”—but none of the cruelty or contaminants. Check out VegCooking.com for tasty fish-friendly recipes!

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