Written by PETA
Benson, a giant carp and a celebrity of sorts in Britain, has died. Angling fanatics are blaming her death on nuts, and so are we. But we aren't talking about peanuts, cashews, or pistachios—we are blaming the hordes of unhinged humans who hurt her for "fun."
It is estimated that during Benson's lifetime, she was painfully hooked and dragged from her aquatic home more than 60 times—that's right, six-zero—so that anglers could pose for a photo and then fling her back into the water.
Isn't it logical to believe that the pain and stress that she suffered over and over …
(and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over)
… again for anglers' so-called "sport" were contributing factors in her death? Why yes, it is.
As our friends over at PETA Europe told BBC News, "If common sense isn't enough, the science is clear: Being repeatedly impaled with a hook and yanked into an environment in which fish cannot breathe, like Benson [was], undeniably causes distress [and] pain and can lead to infections. Even simply handling or netting fish can abrade their protective coating and lead to death."
I'd say that pretty much sums it up, wouldn't you?
Written by Karin Bennett
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