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Cipher13 · Mar 10, 2009, 03:55 AM

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...-29277,00.html

A CAMPAIGN to rename fish as "sea kittens" in order to improve their image has been ridiculed by the Federal Opposition.
Outspoken animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is using the "sea kitten" name as part of its push to restrict fishing.

"Nobody would hurt a sea kitten!" the group says on its website.

"People don't seem to like fish.

"We're going to start by retiring the old name for good.

"When your name can also be used as a verb that means driving a hook through your head, it's time for a serious image makeover."

The website features images of fish with cats' whiskers and ears.

PETA is using the campaign to entice people to sign a petition calling on the US Fish and Wildlife Service to stop promoting "the hunting of sea kittens (otherwise known as fishing)".

Opposition fisheries spokesman John Cobb was not impressed with the campaign, nor with PETA.

PETA has offended some in Australia with is high-profile campaign against mulesing, the practice of cutting away the skin from a sheep's rear to prevent flystrike.

Mr Cobb said the group had little credibility.

"It is hard to take an organisation which wants to change the name of fish seriously," he said.

Many people might laugh at the sea kitten campaign, Mr Cobb said, but PETA's agenda was actually more sinister: destroying the meat and fish industries.

PETA has convinced a number of large companies to boycott Australian wool which comes from mulesed flocks.

The group argues mulesing is cruel and there are better ways to prevent flystrike.

Awesome.

Face Ache · Mar 10, 2009, 04:00 AM

So I bought six kittens for my aquarium, but they all drowned. What am I missing?

Cipher13 · Mar 10, 2009, 04:21 AM

I went sea-kittening, but even with lemon juice the fillets just don't taste quite right.

Railroader · Mar 10, 2009, 07:14 AM

Do they taste like chicken?

Oisín · Mar 10, 2009, 07:51 AM

Well, they do say that pussie(cat)s taste like fish, no? So this sort of makes sense. Taxological grouping by taste.

shifuimam · Mar 10, 2009, 09:49 AM

Super, super old news.

But still lulz.

They do some terrible stuff, too, like "saving" animals and then disposing of them.

What's really sad is how many celebrities support PETA without actually knowing everything about them. It's too trendy.

design219 · Mar 10, 2009, 10:20 AM

I have long enjoyed fly seakittening, but it just doesn't sound as enjoyable now.

andi*pandi · Mar 10, 2009, 10:47 AM

great. Now we'll have LOLfish. er, LOLseakittens.

Eriamjh · 12:10 PM

I think the problem is people are going to confuse them even more and regular kittens are going to be fileted and deep-fried for Fridays during Lent!

This thread reminds me of Homer Simpson:
"People hate crabgrass just because it has a bad name! Everyone would love it if it had a nice name, like Elf Grass!"

olePigeon · Mar 10, 2009, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by PETA

"People don't seem to like fish."

That's ridiculous. People LOVE fish, that's why we eat them!

osiris · 02:59 PM

I love kittens - in a stir fry, broiled, baked... I don't eat fish though.
http://thinkingfluidly.com/2009/03/c...meat-industry/

Actually, I'm a vegetarian, and I think this PETA sea kitten idea is a bit silly.

But I will stand up for the Tuna against those smug dolphins.

Eug · Mar 10, 2009, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

Actually, I'm a vegetarian, and I think this PETA sea kitten idea is a bit silly.

It's so silly, that it must be a public relations ploy... and if so it seems to be very successful.

P.S. I love to eat fish. Steamed fish with ginger and green onions is great, with a bit of garlic and soy sauce. I also really like Portugese grilled sardines. All you need is salt, olive oil and pepper, and some lemon wedges for after it's grilled.

What would "sardines" be in PETA-speak?

olePigeon · Mar 10, 2009, 03:54 PM

Every time you masturbate, God kills a sea kitten.

Oisín · Mar 10, 2009, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Eug

What would "sardines" be in PETA-speak?

nonhuman · Mar 10, 2009, 04:34 PM

Ah, bonzai kitties. Good times, good times.

ShortcutToMoncton · Mar 10, 2009, 06:30 PM

Kitties never tasted so good, so good!

tooki · Mar 10, 2009, 07:19 PM

This still doesn't top the animal rights activists that want to reduce hunting by administering contraceptives to wild game animals to reduce the populations to below huntable levels. (Reported in This is True.)

lexapro · Mar 10, 2009, 08:00 PM

I just ate some sea kittens. Tasty, tasty seakittens.

Captain Obvious · Mar 10, 2009, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by Cipher13

Outspoken animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is using the "sea kitten" name as part of its push to restrict fishing.

Well PETA isn't wrong that there needs to be better oversight on global fishing restrictions but that has ZERO to do with the rights of animals or fish. If they are going to be consumed anyway I don't think it makes sense to worry about how the fish feel on the way to the dinner plate.
The concern should be about maintaining sustainable yields not about fish rights

Apple Pro Underwear · Mar 10, 2009, 11:29 PM

The existence of this thread means PETA has done their job.

Original goal: Raise attention for over-fishing.

Means: Announce ridiculous and amusing "plan" meant to grab headlines... FTW

ShortcutToMoncton · Mar 10, 2009, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

Well PETA isn't wrong that there needs to be better oversight on global fishing restrictions but that has ZERO to do with the rights of animals or fish. If they are going to be consumed anyway I don't think it makes sense to worry about how the fish feel on the way to the dinner plate.

The concern should be about maintaining sustainable yields not about fish rights

I think mostly true. Although for the record, should anyone on this board advocate killing a cat or a dog in the same manner that cows, pigs, fish, chickens, etc. are killed, or keep them in the same living conditions that farmed food animals are kept, then you'd have a thread full of outraged responses.

Should there be a difference? To suggest otherwise seems, to me, to be somewhat hypocritical.

greg

andi*pandi · Mar 11, 2009, 12:58 AM

There was an interesting article in Nature Conservancy magazine this month about their efforts to promote sustainable fishery and restoring fish supplies. They were working with fishermen who bought into the mission (less dragging-ocean-floor net fishing, more line fishing). The fishermen seemed to now grudgingly respect them because after all, more fish is better for both money and nature.

I think this model of responsible environmentalism is better than PETA's whackjob attention-whoring.

Cipher13 · Mar 11, 2009, 01:15 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

Well PETA isn't wrong that there needs to be better oversight on global fishing restrictions but that has ZERO to do with the rights of animals or fish. If they are going to be consumed anyway I don't think it makes sense to worry about how the fish feel on the way to the dinner plate.
The concern should be about maintaining sustainable yields not about fish rights

You're absolutely right - there does need to be serious action taken re. overfishing. PETA are not helping the situation at all - idiotic ideas such as the sea-kitten thing just make people less likely to take the issue seriously.

Overfishing is a huge problem, and the impact thereof will start to bite people in the ass in very short order... but PETA are still idiots, and even if they are kinda aiming in the right direction (barely; they'd ban recreational fishing if they could), they're shooting for the wrong reasons.

Cipher13 · Mar 11, 2009, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by Apple Pro Underwear

The existence of this thread means PETA has done their job.

Original goal: Raise attention for over-fishing.

Means: Announce ridiculous and amusing "plan" meant to grab headlines... FTW

I see where you're coming from, but I don't think PETA benefits much from having people laugh at them.

RhymesWithOrange · Mar 11, 2009, 02:00 AM

Damn my dyslexia! I thought this thread was about sex kittens.

Brien · Mar 11, 2009, 03:00 AM

PETA won't be happy until we're all eating grass anyway.

waxcrash · Mar 11, 2009, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by Brien

PETA won't be happy until we're all eating grass anyway.

Unfortunately, PETA doesn't realize that there are twenty amino acids that are the building blocks of human protein. Nine of them are essential because you cannot synthesize them with your own enzymes. Protein from animal sources (meat, fish, etc.) are "complete" because you get all nine essential amino acids from them. Protein from plants (grains, seeds, etc.) do not contain sufficient amounts of one or another of the essential amino acids. Consuming plants alone does not meet the requirement for essential amino acids.

osiris · Mar 11, 2009, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by waxcrash

Unfortunately, PETA doesn't realize that there are twenty amino acids that are the building blocks of human protein. Nine of them are essential because you cannot synthesize them with your own enzymes. Protein from animal sources (meat, fish, etc.) are "complete" because you get all nine essential amino acids from them. Protein from plants (grains, seeds, etc.) do not contain sufficient amounts of one or another of the essential amino acids. Consuming plants alone does not meet the requirement for essential amino acids.

Soy contains all nine.
It's people!

Eriamjh · Mar 11, 2009, 12:23 PM

I think my local chinese restaurant already serves kittens and not the sea-kind.

design219 · Mar 11, 2009, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

Soy contains all nine.

You're not a PETAfile are you?

osiris · Mar 11, 2009, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by design219

You're not a PETAfile are you?

LOL no, just very healthy.

waxcrash · Mar 11, 2009, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

Soy contains all nine.
It's people!

I did not know that. Thanks. That explains why vegetarians are always eating tofu.

King Bob On The Cob · Mar 11, 2009, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

Soy contains all nine.
It's people!

Along with all those pesky estrogen-like compounds.

Doofy · Mar 11, 2009, 06:29 PM

"Dude, dude, smell my fingers!"
"Dude, smells like sea kitteh"

Eriamjh · Mar 15, 2009, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

"Dude, dude, smell my fingers!"
"Dude, smells like sea kitteh"

Now I don't think PETA intended for things that smell like fish to be be called sea kitties! But I think I have a new nickname for one of my favorite things.

And the other things are already called "puppies", aren't they?

wolfen · Mar 18, 2009, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Face Ache

So I bought six kittens for my aquarium, but they all drowned. What am I missing?

A vid to send to PETA?

Btw you can have water-breathing kittens. You just need a boxcutter to make the gills.