Longtime vegan and animal rights supporter Joaquin Phoenix used his Oscar worthy acting skills to make a statement about the brutal slaughter of fish.
In a new PETA video the actor shows what fish must feel during their final moments when they are suffocating to death. For those worried about seeing animal suffering, no fish are shown in the video. Just Phoenix as he mimics drowning and explains why fish deserve to be treated better.
The actor said about his first memories of fish and fishing, “My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one fish was caught, he was writhing, then he was thrown against the side of the boat. You couldn’t disguise what it was. This was what we did to animals to eat them. The animal went from a living, vibrant creature fighting for life to a violent death. I recognized it, as did my brothers and sisters.”
PETA writes about the experiences of fish, “Fish are smart, interesting animals with unique personalities, and just like dogs, cats, and humans, they feel pain. Scientists who study pain are in complete agreement that the pain response in fish is basically identical to the pain response system in mammals and birds. But the fish industry slaughters more than 6 billion fish each year. Every single one of those billion fish are stolen from the water, fighting for breath, feeling their chest move slower and slower, until they finally die an agonizing death. Without any legal protection from cruel treatment, these complex animals are impaled, crushed, suffocated, or cut open and gutted, all while they’re conscious.”
PETA and Phoenix ask the public to go vegan to protect animals like fish from this cruel treatment. Sign their pledge and join them in going animal-free.