Fish Amnesty Day Prompts Campaign to Nix Fishing Emoji
Fish Amnesty Day Prompts Campaign to Nix Fishing Emoji
For Immediate Release:
September 20, 2016
Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382
As Fish Amnesty Day (September 24) approaches, PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—sent letters this morning calling on Facebook to remove the four stickers that depict fishing, including the one in the “Prickly Pear” series that shows a dead fish at the end of a fishing line, and on the Unicode Consortium, which governs emojis, to remove the “Fishing Pole and Fish” emoji.
“It’s no more appropriate to offer a fishing emoji than to offer one that shows a puppy or kitten who’s being skewered or hooked,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “This Fish Amnesty Day, PETA is asking Facebook and the Unicode Consortium to pull these icons of cruelty and celebrate fish as the sensitive sea animals they are.”
For more information, please visit PETA.org. I can be reached at 202-483-7382, extension 2175, or [email protected] if you have any questions.
PETA’s letters to Facebook and the Unicode Consortium follow.
September 20, 2016
Via e-mail: [email protected]
Dear Facebook Stickers Team,
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 5 million members and supporters worldwide to urge you to remove Facebook stickers that show characters fishing—such as the one of Prickly Pear with a dead fish at the end of a fishing line—in honor of Fish Amnesty Day on September 24.
Fish Amnesty Day was founded by PETA nearly 20 years ago to remind people that all animals deserve compassion and respect, regardless of whether they have fur or fins or whether they are cats or catfish. Fish are smart, interesting animals with their own unique personalities, just like cats and dogs. Scientists who study pain agree that the pain response system in fish is almost identical to that of mammals and birds, yet millions each year suffer profoundly when they’re tortured for “sport.” Skewered through their sensitive mouths and torn from their homes, they writhe in terror and pain until their gills collapse and they suffocate. The swim bladders of fish pulled out of deep water can even rupture because of the sudden change in pressure, and studies show that fish who are caught and released suffer from such severe psychological distress that they may die from shock.
We hope to hear that Facebook will help celebrate all the wondrous things about fish by pulling all fishing stickers, which promote the abuse of sensitive sea animals. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President
PETA
September 20, 2016
Via e-mail: [email protected]
Dear Unicode Consortium Members,
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 5 million members and supporters worldwide to urge you to remove the “Fishing Pole and Fish” emoji
in honor of Fish Amnesty Day on September 24.
Fish Amnesty Day was founded by PETA nearly 20 years ago to remind people that all animals deserve compassion and respect, regardless of whether they have fur or fins or whether they are cats or catfish. Fish are smart, interesting animals with their own unique personalities, just like cats and dogs. Scientists who study pain agree that the pain response system in fish is almost identical to that of mammals and birds, yet millions each year suffer profoundly when they’re tortured for “sport.” Skewered through their sensitive mouths and torn from their homes, they writhe in terror and pain until their gills collapse and they suffocate. The swim bladders of fish pulled out of deep water can even rupture because of the sudden change in pressure, and studies show that fish who are caught and released suffer from such severe psychological distress that they may die from shock.
We hope to hear that the Unicode Consortium will help celebrate all the wondrous things about fish by pulling this fishing emoji, which promotes the abuse of sensitive sea animals. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President
PETA
