# PETA says - don't serve fish for lunch at the Aquarium! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 29, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409 "2005-06-29T19:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/1 "2005-06-29T19:24:28Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050629/od\_nm/fish\_dc;\_ylt=ArKLoVF2.63R4C1.a9eqhBAuQE4F;\_ylu=X3oDMTA3NW1oMDRpBHNlYwM3NTc-](http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050629/od_nm/fish_dc;_ylt=ArKLoVF2.63R4C1.a9eqhBAuQE4F;_ylu=X3oDMTA3NW1oMDRpBHNlYwM3NTc-) Now, I have to tell you, I have been to this Aquarium. And in one of their biggest tanks they have yellowtail, and sea bass, and several other fish I have personally tasted and found delicious. And I admit, when lunch time rolls around at this Aquarium, I find myself craving fish. And furthermore, once when I was there they had a lunch special of fresh halibut, battered and fried and served with fries and it was delicious! I admit, there is something a bit creepy about serving fish at the aquarium cafeteria, just as it would be a bit creepy to serve lamb at a food stand outside the petting zoo. But something perverse inside me enjoys the little twist of irony inherent in the situation. How about you? Would you eat fish at the Aquarium? Do you think people should be prevented from doing so? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/2 "2005-06-29T19:26:52Z")
I would absolutely eat fish at an aquarium, and it’s ridiculous to suggest that it’s any worse to eat a fish there than to eat a fish elsewhere. PETA needs to get back to their logically coherent campaigns, like their “Eat the Whales” campaign. This one makes no sense. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/3 "2005-06-29T19:27:35Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > How about you? Would you eat fish at the Aquarium? Not only would I eat fish, but I’d take the bones back to the Aquarium and wave them at the fish, jeering. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/4 "2005-06-29T19:46:55Z")
Not only would I eat fish there, I’d be quite happy if the aquarium had a special tank where you could throw in a line and catch your lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/5 "2005-06-29T19:50:11Z")
And I’d have a burger at a slaughterhouse. Geez. What next… no eating apples in an orchard for fear of traumatizing the trees? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/6 "2005-06-29T20:05:16Z")
Hell, in Baltimore the Aquarium is downtown on the harbor, and is surrounded by seafood restaurants. Like Phillips. [Homer]Mmmm, Phillips.[/Homer] I have eaten burgers on a beef farm and taunted the cows while eating. Madd Maxx: Boy, these burgers sure are delicious! Cows: Moo. Madd Maxx: And fresh too! Hey, Cow, ever wonder where your friend Bessie wandered off to? Cow: Moo? Madd Maxx: That’s right I’m eating Bessie-burgers! Cow: That’s downright disturbing, right there. ::chews cud and wanders off:: ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/7 "2005-06-29T20:06:28Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Would you eat fish at the Aquarium? Nope. > [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Do you think people should be prevented from doing so? No, of course not. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/8 "2005-06-29T20:10:11Z")
This reminds me of the Far Side where a cow is cooking burgers on the grill, and his neighbor says, “You’re a sick, sick man, Hal.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/9 "2005-06-29T20:14:35Z")
Speaking as an American, a liberal, an atheist, a Democrat, and someone who believes in the right of individuals to choose their own lifestyles, including veganism, if that’s what they wish, I say … Screw Peta. Screw 'em with a rusty pole. Twice. They’re a bunch of wacko terrorist-hugging idiots. They’re a bunch of liars. And they probably are a bunch of hypocritical animal killers. And that’s not hyperbole. See the episode on Peta of Showtime’s _Penn & Teller: Bullshit_. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/10 "2005-06-29T20:16:49Z")
> [@Madd Maxx](#): > > Hell, in Baltimore the Aquarium is downtown on the harbor, and is surrounded by seafood restaurants. Like Phillips. [Homer]Mmmm, Phillips.[/Homer] I have eaten burgers on a beef farm and taunted the cows while eating. Ever tried feeding the cows some of the hamburger? [Cartman]You want some beef jerky, buddy?[/Cartman] ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/11 "2005-06-29T20:22:50Z")
> [@Vagus](#): > > Not only would I eat fish there, I’d be quite happy if the aquarium had a special tank where you could throw in a line and catch your lunch. Or how about if anything could be pointed at and eaten, for an appropriate price? Kinda like the world’s biggest lobster tank. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/12 "2005-06-29T20:22:52Z")
In Boston, the aquarium has a nice explanation in the cafeteria about why they’re serving fish. It’s a good piece of work, well argued. Plus, of course, “No, we don’t serve the exhibits, ha, ha, ha.” Myself, I wouldn’t hesitate to eat fish there, though it’s not like I eat a ton of fish. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/13 "2005-06-29T20:29:10Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Or how about if anything could be pointed at and eaten, for an appropriate price? Kinda like the world’s biggest lobster tank. Erk. _falls over dead_ This I couldn’t do. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/14 "2005-06-29T20:30:57Z")
It’s possible to believe that fish are beautiful creatures, well-worth spending an afternoon watching or providing a habitat for in your own home, and that they’re also tasty. I’ve been known to go pick up supplies for my own aquarium, and stop by on the way home to pick up some catfish. I’m comfortable with my place on the food chain. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/15 "2005-06-29T20:33:13Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Or how about if anything could be pointed at and eaten, for an appropriate price? Kinda like the world’s biggest lobster tank. There are many Chinese restaurants where you can choose your own fish live from the tank. I’ve done it. It’s delicious. (I mean, they cook it first.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/16 "2005-06-29T20:39:54Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > It’s possible to believe that fish are beautiful creatures, well-worth spending an afternoon watching or providing a habitat for in your own home, and that they’re also tasty. Oh, I know. I don’t like \*fish \* much, but \*shellfish \* is to die for. And I have looked at a mega-lobster at an aquarium and thought “That’s a lot to eat.” But I still couldn’t do it. I could do it at a Chinee restaurant with just a bit of squeamishness. My future FIL brought home a bunch of crabs one day and dumped them all alive into the sink so we could eat them…that was OK, too. Just in aquariums it seems different. There’s a lot of rare unusual fish there and I don’t go around thinking about eating everything I see…plus I don’t really like most types of fish anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/17 "2005-06-29T20:48:56Z")
Waitaminute. So PETA has spent all these years trying to “educate” us about where flesh food comes from (animals, duh!) and now they don’t want us to eat flesh food where we can see where it comes from? Is anyone else confused as to what the hell they’re trying to accomplish here? It just makes no sense. If anything, walk around the cafeteria and tell children that the fish sticks they’re eating were peacefully swimming in THAT TANK RIGHT THERE 10 MINUTES AGO!!! Seems like that would make more people stop eating the fish all on their own. :smack: Oh, wait. Scratch that whole post. Erroneous assumption #1: PETA wants to make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/18 "2005-06-29T21:06:30Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Is anyone else confused as to what the hell they’re trying to accomplish here? It just makes no sense. If anything, walk around the cafeteria and tell children that the fish sticks they’re eating were peacefully swimming in THAT TANK RIGHT THERE 10 MINUTES AGO!!! That’s what I mean. PETA may start with some wildly bizarre assumptions, and they may be dominated by wealthy, self-absorbed tweakers, but at least their campaigns usually make some sort of twisted sense if you grant them their base assumptions. (The “Eat the Whales” campaign is my personal favorite example of this: they seriously argued that eating whales is more humane than eating cows). This one doesn’t make any sense, not even if you start with their wildly bizarre assumptions. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/19 "2005-06-29T21:10:56Z")
I briefly considered giving up eating fish when I got pet goldfish in college. Then I looked at the list of ingredients on their fish food. The first ingredient, or at least one of the first five, was “fish meal”. If they had no moral problem with eating fish, why should I? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409/20 "2005-06-29T21:12:45Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > I briefly considered giving up eating fish when I got pet goldfish in college. > > Then I looked at the list of ingredients on their fish food. > > The first ingredient, or at least one of the first five, was “fish meal”. > > If they had no moral problem with eating fish, why should I? Did you notice that the second ingredient is “baby hearts”? 😉 Me, I strive to a better code of ethics than a goldfish’s. Daniel [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-says-dont-serve-fish-for-lunch-at-the-aquarium/310409.md?page=2)