Hooked ‘Mermaid’ to Dangle at Inner Harbor to Protest Cruel Fishing Industry

Prior to Fish Amnesty Day, Graphic PETA Protest Will Remind People That Fish Feel Pain, Just as Humans Do

For Immediate Release:
September 20, 2017

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

What:    Wearing little more than bodypaint and hanging several feet above the sidewalk from hooks pierced through her back, a PETA “mermaid” will greet passersby at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Thursday, in advance of Fish Amnesty Day on September 22, with a sign reading, “Fishing Hurts. Go Vegan.” PETA supporters will pass out leaflets, and an additional banner will proclaim, “Sea Life, Not Seafood.”

When:    Thursday, September 21, 11:30 a.m.

Where:    The intersection of Light and Pratt Streets (outside Pandora Ice Rink), Baltimore

“Fish are sensitive, intelligent animals with their own unique personalities, and they suffer enormously when they’re dragged from the sea in nets or impaled on hooks,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman says. “This Fish Amnesty Day, PETA is encouraging everyone to help scale back cruelty by choosing humane vegan options such as Gardein’s Fishless Filets.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—notes that studies have shown that fish not only feel pain but also learn tasks, have long-term memories, use tools, and show affection. When they’re hauled up from the ocean depths, they experience the excruciating pain of decompression, and the pressure change often damages their internal organs. Eating fish is also harmful to humans—fish flesh contains massive amounts of toxins, such as methylmercury and PCBs, which can cause cancer, brain damage, and birth defects.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.