Fish Feel Pain And Suffer

Despite a myth that circulated for decades, fish do feel pain and can suffer from it. Researchers found that fish possess nociceptors that detect harmful temperatures, pressure, and chemicals, while injuries activate brain regions involved in conscious sensory perception. Rainbow trout injected with acetic acid rubbed their lips against gravel, breathed faster, rocked, and delayed feeding, but morphine reduced these reactions. In 2013, the American Veterinary Medical Association concluded that the accumulated evidence justified giving finfish the same consideration for pain relief as land vertebrates.

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