‘Catfish Don’t Belong on the Ice—Dead or Alive,’ PETA Tells Predators

Group Offers to Rush 1,000 Plastic Fish to Replace Cruel Fish-Throwing

For Immediate Release:
November 26, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

On the heels of reports that Nashville Predators fans have thrown both live and dead catfish onto the ice at games, including one catfish thrown onto the ice at yesterday’s home game, PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—sent an urgent letter today asking the Predators’ management to prohibit the practice, citing its cruelty to animals, and offering to ship the team a humane replacement: 1,000 plastic fish.

“Like all animals, fish are sentient beings who feel fear and pain, and throwing fish—dead or alive—onto the ice is no more acceptable than throwing live or dead kittens onto the ice,” says PETA Senior Director Colleen O’Brien. “PETA stands ready to rush the Predators a shipment of 1,000 plastic fish that fans could use to celebrate their team’s success without making light of cruelty to animals.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to the Nashville Predators follows.

November 26, 2014

Thomas G. Cigarron
Chair and Governor
Nashville Predators

David Poile
President of Hockey Operations and General Manager
Nashville Predators

Dear Messrs Cigarron and Poile:

I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 3 million members and supporters—including thousands across Tennessee, with many sports fans among them—in response to reports that a catfish was thrown onto the ice during your game yesterday, November 25, against the Los Angeles Kings, and that catfish have been thrown onto the ice at other games in the past. We encourage you to prohibit fans from throwing fish—dead or alive—onto the ice in the future and have a proposition that would help make this a win-win situation for both animals and Predators fans.

Whether you want to think about it or not, fish are sentient beings, capable of feeling fear and pain. It’s no more acceptable to harm them than it is to harm any other living beings. Please, won’t you prohibit fans from engaging in such insensitive acts?

We’d be happy to send you 1,000 plastic fish that you could distribute to guests at Bridgestone Arena. Fans could use them in a harmless, fun way to celebrate their team’s success without making light of cruelty to animals. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Colleen O’Brien
Senior Director of Communications
PETA