Hooked On A Myth Analysis

Do fish feel pain? According to Victoria Braithwaite from her “Hooked on a Myth” an article that was published in the Los Angeles Times” she provided key points and examples on whether fishes can feel pain or not. Fishes are seen around the world as being an inferior animal compared to other animals such as dogs and birds , but does that make them prone to not feeling any pain ? Pain can be mental or emotional but, it can also be physical pain such as distress to any part of the body caused by anything that may be upsetting. Should we not treat fishes the same we treat other animals or humans ? In the article paragraph three Braithwaite explains how us humans have specialized nerve endings called nociceptors that alert us to damage or pain on the body. When fishes get hooked do they feel the pain of the sharp end point that grabs onto the inside of the mouth ? In

In her experiment she founded “ fish found these naturally irritating chemicals unpleasant too. Thier gills beat faster, and they rubbed the affected area on the walls of the tank, lose intrest of food and had problems making decisions.” You can say fishes almost react the same as humans do when in pain or sick. When something irritates me the first thing I always do is rub the area that's bothering me, and when most people are sick or suffering from an illness there are most likely to be distraught. If fishes can feel irritation on there body and rub against the side of the tank then they must be feeling a type of pain or burning sensation that would cause pain. If a fish couldn't feel pain they wouldn't run against the side of the tank neither would their gills would beat faster then normal. That should be an indicator that a fish can feel some kind of