Giant 'Fish' to Make A Splash in West Hartford

PETA's Tiffany Tuna Proclaims: 'Don't Batter Me—Go Vegan'

For Immediate Release:
October 1, 2012

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

West Hartford, Conn. -- Wearing nothing but her tail fins and waving signs that read, "I'm a Fish—Not a Filet" and "Fish Are Not Swimming Vegetables," PETA's giant fish mascot, Tiffany Tuna, will protest outside Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford—in an effort to show people that fish and other sea animals are not ours to eat:

Date:   Tuesday, October 2

Time:   12 noon

Place:  Max's Oyster Bar, 964 Farmington Ave., West Hartford

Why the fuss over fishing? Although fish cannot always express pain and suffering in ways that humans easily recognize, marine biologists assure us that fish do indeed feel pain. Farmed aquatic animals also suffer from stress, infections, and parasites as a result of crowded, filthy, and unnatural living conditions. Many animals dragged out of oceans in huge nets (along with unintended victims, such as dolphins, turtles, seals, and others) slowly suffocate or are crushed to death. The others are often still alive when their throats and bellies are cut open.

Another reason to forgo eating fish? Fish are caught and killed by the billions for their flesh, but many of them exact a little revenge: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 325,000 people get sick and many die each year from eating contaminated seafood. Fish flesh often contains toxic levels of mercury and PCBs, chemicals that have been linked to many kinds of cancer.

"Eating fish is neither healthy nor humane," says PETA Campaign Specialist Ashley Byrne. "When you 'see food,' please choose vegan!"

For more information, visit PETA.org.