PETA - the next round?

It does not matter what sort of an angler you are, coarse, sea game, carp or matchman whatever. At the moment we have a formidable enemy in the shape of PETA. I, as well as other FishingMagic members, have written a sample letter to be copied and sent to local and/or national newspapers detailing PETA's aims. This week I came up with another idea which, hopefully, will put PETA well and truly on the retreat in the UK. A series of textual posters detailing individual PETA items targetted at specific shops and retail outlets. Butchers receiving a poster stating PETA's aims at forcing Britain to become a vegan state; petshops with their own poster stating PETA's goal of no pet ownership.

I cannot possibly print out the thousands of posters needed to target the UK - there are hundreds possibly thousands of outlets which can be reached in this way. This is where each individual member of FishingMagic comes in. I can easily design the posters and post them here for FM members to download. If you only print out a couple of posters and politley request that they be displayed in the relevant shops in your area think of the coverage? We are all forever saying that something should be done, somebody should be representing us. Well, let's do something ourselves. I need to know if this idea is good or not? Do you want me to go ahead or am I wasting my time. Please post your ideas in this thread and then I will know what to do.

Thanks.

Kevan

If there are enough favourable replies to this thread indicating that this is a good idea then FISHINGmagic will be happy to devote a page to the poster from where it can be printed off or downloaded.

So let's hear what you think about it. Is it viable, or a waste of time?

Count me in. I've just sent a snotty letter to the editor of the Telegraph and I'm up for a fight.

I would be confident that with the help of my mates we can get a good high street coverage right across my home town of Bristol.

It is important though that our posters should be factually correct, be hard hitting and stand out but at the same time time we dont want to include anything offensive that will prevent shops from displaying.

We just have to fight back, nobody else will do it for us.

Count me in as well im sure there are plenty of high street outlets in Rugby that i could get to display the posters as well as work a in the car.

Ditto - Daventry is only a small town but every little bit helps.

Go for it Kevan,attack is the best form of defence

Likewise.
Butchers, petshops, shoeshops (no leather) there are at least half a dozen viable shops in even the smallest village.

All members must act.
Good call Kevan, if you need any help, then just ask.

Yes, i agree, at one time i thought the best defence was to ignore them and not give them the platform they crave but i now believe we can take them on ....and win!! our pastime is wholesome and worthy....lets go get em!!!

if every angler prints off about ten then you have a good amount being prited for release. iwillbe up to do this a it would hit peta where it hurts. who needs the backing of some miss lead superstars who think if i back this or something else it will make me better for it .lets hope that the so called independet papers help get the truth out about this so called do gooders .i have just looked at their site and it is all old infomation , who uses lead any more they should find out what anglers use first. lets get going for a fight .

You draw 'em an I'll print them off, excellent idea Kevan. Lets beat them at their own game except we'll cheat and tell the truth and print the facts. :-}~

I'm in send me what I need

Me as well!

Count me in.

The response I'm getting is great. I shall be going ahead with the wording over the next couple of days. It will be purely factual mainly countering what PETA have said themselves.

While I have been thinking over this poster, and who to target, a thought popped into my head. Does anybody know where PETA stand in relation to guide dogs for the blind and hearing dogs for the deaf? I don't know the facts on this so I will not be using any conjecture - this is where they could trip us up and I am not going to give them even the slightest chance. However, if we can find out what their motives are regarding these working dogs it would be very useful for the future.

Thanks.

Kevan

Some care needs to be taken here, especially about the pet aspect as well. I've just browsed the PETA site and I can't find anything that says they are against keeping pets or, as they call them, 'companion animals'.

There is no mention, as far as I can see, about guide dogs, one way or the other.

Have a look at this 'factsheet' on PETA, it's the nearest thing I can find about pets:

<a href=http://www.peta-online.org/mc/facts/fsc19.html>PETA 'Factsheet'

Count me in aswell,
If I can i'll plaster them all over Derby.
Plus as I am a postman I'll slip them into mail bags to go all over the country.

Ive just had a read of this on the petta page shes a real nutty yank.

Fishing: Aquatic Agony


That human beings regard some kinds of fish as "pets" and others as objects of sport or consumption is one of society's many inconsistent attitudes toward animals. Millions of fish annually are subjected to severe pain and stress by the commercial fishing industry and in "sport" or "recreational" fishing.

The Painful Reality

The poet Byron said it best: "[T]he art of angling [is] the cruelest, the coldest, and the stupidest of pretended sports."(1) "Sport" fishing generally refers to fishing with a rod and reel, but may include the use of bows and arrows, small nets, spears, or guns. It survives partly because of the misconception that fish don't feel pain. While fish do not express pain and suffering in ways that humans easily recognize, they do gasp and struggle when caught. Moreover, fish have been known to go out of their way, and even risk their own lives, to aid others in trouble.

Scientific reports from around the world substantiate the fact that fish feel pain. For example, a U.K. inquiry into angling and shooting, known as The Medway Report, concluded: "[T]he evidence suggests that all vertebrates (including fish) . . . experience similar sensations to a greater or lesser degree in response to noxious stimuli."(2) Fish feel pain out of biological necessity, just as mammals do. Without the ability to feel pain, they would not be able to survive.

Hooked fish struggle out of fear and physical pain. Once fish are brought out of their environment and into ours, they begin to suffocate. Often their gills collapse and the swim bladder can rupture due to the sudden change in pressure on their bodies. Anglers also often impale their victims on a "stringer" and dangle them in water so that they won't die quickly and "spoil."

Fish who are released can suffer such severe stress from being "played" that they may die even though they manage to swim away or may be so weakened that they are easy prey for predators.(3) The "fight" to survive during catch and release can cause a buildup of lactic acid, making the fish stiff and sore, lessening their chances of survival.(4)

Many trout streams are so intensively fished that they are subject to "catch and release" regulations requiring that all fish caught must be let go; the aquatic animals in these streams are likely to spend their entire short lives being repeatedly traumatized and injured.

Terry Hill, a former angler, recalls: "On several occasions, I caught fish who had hooks actually embedded in their lips. What had happened was, earlier in that fish's life, a hook had been lost by a fisherman and had embedded itself in the fish's lip. As the fish had grown, the lip had actually grown over the hook. [In some cases,] the hook had actually been swallowed by the fish and become embedded in the fish's stomach. The fish was actually pulled out by the gut. The fisherman would normally become frustrated and would pull the hook out, actually pulling the fish's guts out through the mouth."(5)


...

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; 757-622-PETA
Media CenterAction AlertsCampaignsLivingPETA KidsPETA MallAbout PETADonate NowSearch


[this message was shortened to fit new size restrictions - contact the poster for full details]

Kevan you can count on my support too. Great idea.

Graham. Don't worry, I will make sure of my references before I do the pet poster. I'll start off with the vege ones for butchers. The guide dogs I am not sure of, I may ask them myself - using a hotmail account of course.

Add me to the list please. Anything I can do shout.