When I was 12, I won a fishing contest—something I haven't been proud of for a long time now. Back in the day, I was conditioned to ignore any qualms I might have felt about hooking fish, but I eventually realized how much suffering I was causing and put down my rod and reel for good.

What I've only more recently come to understand is that angling doesn't just hurt fish. Case in point: PETA staffers Hannah and Philip Schein were at Lake Kussharo in Hokkaido, Japan, when they saw a whooper swan who had a multi-pronged fishing lure embedded in her foot. She tried to remove it the only way she could—with her mouth—but the sharp hooks only became embedded in her beak as well. With her face now attached to her foot, the swan struggled in a twisted circular position, panicked and in pain:

 

Several people helped the Scheins catch the bird. Then Hannah and another person restrained the terrified swan while they carefully removed the hooks:

Freed from the deadly lure, the swan—no doubt relieved, but with good reason to be wary of humans—flew away with a vigorous sweep of her mighty wings:

 

Tragedy was avoided in this case, but not all victims of fishing tackle are so lucky. Countless water birds and mammals suffer, and many die, from injuries caused by discarded or lost fishing hooks, monofilament line, lead weights, and floats. Animals who become entangled in fishing line can be trapped underwater and drown or die slowly of starvation. The UK has banned certain types of tackle because of this problem, and other countries need to follow its lead.

Even non-anglers can help by skipping seafood. Commercial fishing boats haul in sharks, sea turtles, birds, seals, and dolphins who get tangled in nets and hooked by long-lines only to be thrown overboard to die of shock, blood loss, or predation.

If you find yourself craving cod or salivating over salmon, just picture a plate full of snared, scared swans. Then enjoy these cruelty-free recipes instead.

Written by Jeff Mackey

mchenrycountyblog / CC

Ever wondered just how PETA is so magnificently successful in acquiring insider knowledge of animal abuse worldwide? Well, if you haven't figured it out based on this post's cheesy title—or seen the fantastic in-depth documentary about this and other colorful strategies of those on the frontlines of the animal rights movement—I'll spell it out: H.A.R.D.C.O.R.E. B.A.D.@.$.$. S.P.I.E.S.! (I'd give you a backronym, but this is already verbose.)

Seriously, though, not only do we employ James Bond-caliber infiltrators, what they uncover is more sinister—and of far greater value—than any Hollywood glam, pyrotechnic diamond heist too.

So just who are these fearless, selfless souls? Well, allow me to introduce two of PETA's MVPs: spy couple Hannah and Philip Schein. (It's cool. I can out them 'cause they are semi-retired and have already been sued.)

Get a load of this rap sheet:

• They have clandestinely captured video footage of chinchillas killed for their fur.
• Practicing Jews, the Scheins have participated in seven kosher-related investigations, most recently at a slaughterhouse in South America, where they captured footage of horrific "shackle and hoist" cow slaughter.
• They also helped direct an investigation at the world's largest kosher slaughterhouse, where an investigator documented cruelty that was anything but kosher.
• Hannah went to dinner with Beyoncé and took a hidden camera with her to take the singer to task for glamorizing the use of fur for fashion.
• Philip has been on covert missions among monks running an egg factory farm in South Carolina and black-bear hunters in Canada. Bad@$$!

So if watching these videos makes you want to throw things, just imagine being the one that filmed and edited the footage. These courageous folks risk their necks by enduring abysmal circumstances to uncover abuses that are deliberately hidden by powerful industries. And their work saves countless animals' lives. Think about it. How many of you are now veg because of a film with this kind of footage? I see quite a few hands raised. (Of course, there's no shame for those of you lured into the fold by a hot half-nekkid girl preaching the good "pro-veg" news with nothing but a few lettuce leaves covering her naughty bits. By any means necessary, yo.)

"Hannah and I know how important and effective it is to make the abuse of animals behind the scenes public," says Philip. "We are proud of our undercover work for PETA and glad that it is something we've been able to do as a couple." Suffice it to say that these heroes and their team deserve our relentless support for educating the masses while stickin' it to the man.

On behalf of animals everywhere, we the cruelty-free thank you!

—MissyPosted by Missy Lane, Public Information Specialist