Hunting is not a sport for the hunted
Every year, hundreds of millions of animals fall victim to hunting. Their agony lasts at least as long as the hunt, and they are subjected to pain, fear and distress. Many of the animals that manage to escape die later on from their wounds. Often, they are adults with offspring in their care, who die of starvation in the absence of their parent.
Hunting is sometimes defended by the claim that it is useful for regulating the populations of some animals. Apart from conflicting with the fact that many animals are protected and raised for hunting, and that it is known that many species of animals have been hunted to extinction, this claim is a good example of the human-centred mentality common in our society today. From an ethical point of view, this is unacceptable, as it means sacrificing individual animals with their own interest in living for the sake of entities that can’t feel, such as an ecosystem or a species. Few would suggest that we should kill human beings in order to keep overpopulation under control. Why, then, is this proposed in the case of other animals? Obviously, this is a consequence of speciesist discrimination.
Fish feel as much as other animals
Fish are beings who, like birds, mammals, reptiles and other animals, have nervous systems with pain receptors. These nervous systems are what enable them to experience pain and pleasure. We can put ourselves in their place and understand how they might feel during angling by imagining ourselves innocently going to get something to eat and feeling a hook suddenly perforate our palate and drag us somewhere we can’t breathe. Fish that are put back into the water after being caught often die, due to the wounds they have suffered, exhaustion, or the loss of the protective cuticle that covers their scales, which they lose when handled. But even if they survive, it can hardly be justified to make someone go through such a traumatic experience just for fun.
Other victims of hunting and fishing
Hunting and fishing also hurt other creatures. Large numbers of animals are killed or trapped “accidentally”. Others die trapped in the wire used to enclose breeding establishments, poisoned by swallowing lead pellets or injured by cast-off fishing equipment. It is not uncommon for nylon string to break and turn into a deadly weapon for thousands of fish, birds, otters and many other animals, whom it traps, wounds or strangles. The same thing happens with hooks, floats and weights that come loose. And finally, fish or other animals used as bait are literally nailed alive on the hook.
There are many forms of entertainment that don’t involve the use of animals. It is not necessary to brutalise anyone to enjoy a peaceful day in the countryside.