A Fin-tastic Deal? PETA Pitches Big Fish Statue Repairs, with a Vegan Catch
Belfast – Following reports that Belfast’s iconic Salmon of Knowledge sculpture has been vandalised, PETA sent a letter to the Minister of Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA, offering to help cover the repair costs – if he agrees to display a plaque encouraging everyone to spare a thought for gentle fish killed for their flesh by going vegan.
The image is also available here. Credit: PETA.
“Salmon are intelligent, sensitive animals who can navigate vast oceans to find their way home. But right now, millions are trapped in crowded fish farms, where disease and parasites kill many, while survivors face a violent slaughter,” writes PETA Vice President Vegan Projects Dawn Carr. “Adding this plaque could help turn the tide for fish with a message of kindness, a fitting tribute to the sculpture’s creator, John Kindness.”
PETA points out that fish share knowledge and have long memories and cultural traditions. Some woo potential partners by creating intricate works of art in the sand on the ocean floor – yet more fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined. In addition, 38 million tonnes of other aquatic animals – including whales, dolphins, turtles, and sharks – are unintentionally caught or entangled in fishing gear annually as the fishing industry aims to satisfy consumer demand.
Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year, dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint, and avoids ingesting the many toxic chemicals found in the flesh of fish, including mercury, lead, and polychlorinated biphenyls. PETA offers a free vegan starter kit for those ready to make the switch.
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” – points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a fish is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.
Contact:
Lucy Watson +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]
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