Catch Fly Balls, Not Fish! PETA Asks Marlins to Display Fish Empathy Quilt at loanDepot park

For Immediate Release:
June 26, 2024

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Today, PETA sent a letter to Bruce Sherman, chair and principal owner of the Miami Marlins, offering to provide the group’s first-of-its-kind Fish Empathy Quilt for the team to display at loanDepot park to promote friendliness to all fish—not just the team’s mascot, Billy the Marlin. PETA’s quilt has made a splash nationwide, including during a monthlong stay at Eureka City Hall in California—and if Sherman agrees to loanDepot park becoming the quilt’s next stop, PETA will arrange for a delivery of delicious fish-free meals for fans and an appearance from its own crowd-pleasing mascot Tiffany Tuna at the festive unveiling event.

“Fish are smart, playful animals with long memories and even their own cultural traditions, yet billions of these thinking, feeling individuals are killed each year in the fishing industry,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA hopes the Miami Marlins will go to bat for fish by embracing the kind message of this quilt.”

The Fish Empathy Quilt measures more than 300 square feet and is composed of more than 100 unique, handcrafted squares from PETA members and supporters, including cartoonist Harry Bliss and oceanographic explorer and film producer Jean-Michel Cousteau.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Sherman follows.

June 26, 2024

Bruce Sherman
Chair and Principal Owner

Miami Marlins

Dear Mr. Sherman:

Hello! I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters worldwide, including hundreds of thousands in Florida—amid the Miami Marlins’ 2024 season with an idea we hope you’ll reelly embrace. To help Marlins’ fans have compassion for fish like Billy, we’d love to loan a thought-provoking item to display at loanDepot park: the world’s first and only Fish Empathy Quilt. It has been well received wherever it has been cast ashore and has made a splash in towns from California to Alaska. Will you please agree to display it in the park for the rest of the season?

The quilt is a vibrant, creative depiction of marine life. It features more than 100 unique squares contributed by individuals from around the country, including a few famous ones, such as cartoonist Harry Bliss and French oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau. Collectively, they’ve created an artwork that continues to grow as people’s sensitivity to the plight of animals increases. It consists of six sections of varying dimensions, which can be displayed separately or clipped together as one large exhibit (over 300 square feet).

As you may know, fish are sensitive animals with complex nervous systems, and it’s extremely painful for them to be hooked through their mouths, which contain many nerve endings. Just like dogs and cats—and humans, for that matter—fish have individual personalities. They communicate with each other, show affection by gently rubbing against one another, and are extremely resourceful and intelligent. Ever-more people are concerned these days about the unsustainable global fishing industry, and the market for vegan seafood is projected to reach $1.6 billion in the next 10 years. More and more people now realize that fish deserve to be treated with kindness, and PETA’s Fish Empathy Quilt beautifully reflects this awareness.

In November, three of the quilt’s panels were exhibited outside the Council Chambers at Eureka City Hall in California. loanDepot park would be the quilt’s perfect next stop! We’d be happy to offer delicious fish-free meals and even a visit from our own mascot Tiffany Tuna, who could hand out free coloring books and crayons to children at the unveiling or launch. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk
President