Page 25 - UK The Official Veganuary Starter Kit
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THE OFFICIAL VEGANUARY STARTER KIT
2. DO FISH FEEL PAIN?
DO PLANTS FEEL PAIN?
The short answers to these two questions are: the thing that hurts them. In other words, they
almost certainly, and almost certainly not. behave in the exact same way as we would if
Pain is a difficult thing to assess in any we were in pain but couldn’t speak.
species, even humans. We cannot see The evidence is strong and getting stronger
someone else’s pain, but we can hear them all the time, but even if it wasn’t, shouldn’t we
describe it and trust what they say is true. err on the side of caution and treat aquatic
But it is not so simple to assess the pain in species with care and compassion?
species that do not speak our language. So, As for plants, while we know that they can
scientists have come up with two ways to ‘feel’ sensations, they have no brain and
determine whether other species are likely to no central nervous system. Nor are they
feel pain: first, do they have all the necessary equipped to move away from the thing that
physiological equipment that would allow harms them, and so feeling pain would be of
them to feel pain? And secondly, do they no benefit to them. In the future, we may find
behave as though they feel pain? out more about what exactly they can feel but
In the case of fish, the answer to both these for now, it is safe to assume that, whatever it is,
questions is yes. Fish have pain receptors, it is not pain.
which would be strange if they weren’t able But, if you are more worried about plants that
to feel pain. They also produce substances (probably) don’t feel pain than animals that
known as enkephalins that mediate pain in the definitely do, then you should still switch to a
same way as in vertebrates like us. plant-based diet. Contrary as it sounds, meat
Research has also shown that many aquatic eaters consume a lot more plants than vegans
species have an aversion to noxious via the plant-eating animals that they eat.
substances. When harmed they rub
themselves in the affected area or hide from
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