In honor of the billions of fish who are abused and killed by humans every year for food and "sport," PETA members and supporters came together to create the world's first Fish Empathy Quilt. More than 100 squares were created by participants across the country. After it was assembled, the quilt took up more than 300 square feet! Click here to see all four of the quilt's beautiful panels.

Who Made the Squares?

Each square was handmade by PETA members and supporters from across the country. Many participants also submitted touching stories about why they no longer support cruelty to fish, including the following:

• A Girl Scout troop from Austin, Texas, submitted several patches. The troop members were inspired by a discussion with a former commercial fisher who had since gone vegetarian about the damage that fishing does to animals and the environment.
• A quilter from Winnipeg, Manitoba, shared a story about how she and her grandfather stopped fishing because of the cruelty involved. They found other ways to spend quality time together instead.
• Several quilters made patches that bear the PETA slogan that Finding Nemo made famous: "Fish Are Friends, Not Food!"

Why Make a Fish Empathy Quilt?

Billions of fish are killed each year so that people can eat their flesh, while millions more are ripped from their homes for "fun" by anglers. The quilters wanted to come together to make the statement that fish deserve compassion because they are intelligent animals who feel pain. Consider the following:

• Fish have nervous systems that comprehend and respond to pain. Scientists tell us that fish's brains and nervous systems closely resemble our own and that fish are just as able to feel pain as cats or dogs.
• Fish are intelligent animals who observe, learn, use tools, and form sophisticated social structures. They also have impressive long-term memories.
• Fish talk to each other with squeaks, squeals, and other low-frequency sounds that humans can only hear with the help of special instruments. Some fish even woo their potential partners by singing to them!
• Some fish tend well-kept gardens, build nests, and collect rocks for building hiding places where they can rest.

What You Can Do

The easiest and most effective thing that you can do to help stop cruelty to fish and other animals is to stop eating them. With the help of great resources such as PETA's Pledge to Be Vegan for 30 Days and the thousands of delicious vegetarian recipes, going vegetarian has never been easier.