# Utah Buddhists illegally save brine shrimp in the Great Salt Lake **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078 "2011-04-12T13:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/1 "2011-04-12T13:04:05Z")
It’s a story a few months old, but I love the headline > [@](#): > > ANTELOPE ISLAND, Utah (AP) - In Asia, Buddhists free caged birds to engender good karma. In the North Atlantic, they release live lobsters that otherwise would end up on America’s dinner tables. But Buddhists in Utah have a truly novel way, they believe, to benefit billions and billions of sentient creatures. They have been releasing brine shrimp eggs back into the Great Salt Lake. > > The only problem: The practice is illegal. The Buddhists learned that recently, after releasing $3,000 worth of eggs - potentially 18 billion brine shrimp - into the lake. [http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/Utah-Buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the/vm0T5f7lKkaKXTTd6UT2bg.cspx](http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/Utah-Buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the/vm0T5f7lKkaKXTTd6UT2bg.cspx) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/2 "2011-04-12T13:06:53Z")
More local and recently updated article: > **[Shrine in the brine: Buddhists save billions of shrimp](https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=50339071&itype=CMSID)** > > Antelope Island • In Asia, Buddhists free caged birds to engender good karma. In the Nort ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/3 "2011-04-12T18:05:51Z")
I feel bad bashing on these folks but…Really? have they put very much thought into this particular crusade? Brine shrimp are food. Their destiny is to be eaten, by birds mostly it sounds like, and these guys aren’t doing anything to stop that. Why should it matter if they are eaten from the lake or from a pet-owner’s hand? Besides, if you jacked up your previous life bad enough to come back as a brine shrimp, maybe getting eaten will teach your soul a valuable lesson on the path to enlightenment. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/4 "2011-04-12T18:39:20Z")
Wait, brine shrimp are sentient? When the hell did that happen? ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/5 "2011-04-12T18:46:37Z")
\I for one, welcome our brine shrimps overlords \ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/6 "2011-04-12T19:14:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Wait, brine shrimp are sentient? > > When the hell did that happen? Since they mutated and started attacking: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OEQd17JjxxU/hqdefault.jpg "Giant Brine Shrimp part 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEQd17JjxxU) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JkNCte9oIks/hqdefault.jpg "Giant Brine Shrimp part 2") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkNCte9oIks) > **[attack of the giant brine shrimp - Yahoo Video Search Results](https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=attack%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bgiant%2Bbrine%2Bshrimp)** > > The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web. (I’d heard about this film for years, but didn’t get to see it until it showed up on YouTube a couple of years ago) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/7 "2011-04-12T19:16:31Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Since they mutated and started attacking: The Simpsons did it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/8 "2011-04-12T19:22:28Z")
> [@](#): > > The Simpsons did it. _Attack of the Giant Brine Shrimp_ LONG predates the Simpsons. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/9 "2011-04-12T19:23:23Z")
I just keep thinking of all those millions of cool underwater castles that must now exist in the lake. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/10 "2011-04-12T19:25:47Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > _Attack of the Giant Brine Shrimp_ LONG predates the Simpsons. As well as South Park. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/11 "2011-04-12T23:03:02Z")
> [@detop](#): > > \I for one, welcome our brine shrimps overlords \ Wrong Simpsons reference: “Ah Smithers, the new Sea Monkeys I’ve ordered have arrived! Look at them cavort and caper!” “Sir, those are the Buddhists who have been protesting down at the lake about your illegal nuclear waste dumping.” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/12 "2011-04-12T23:41:15Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > Wait, brine shrimp are sentient? > > When the hell did that happen? A long time ago. Screw PETA and their Sea Kittens. Sea Monkeys have been the cool since the 1950’s [at least](http://www.mookychick.co.uk/cruelty_to_animals/sea_monkeys.php). I love monkeys of any sort no matter how small and I am glad someone is standing up for any of them let alone cool ones like that. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/13 "2011-04-12T23:42:33Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > Wait, brine shrimp are sentient? > > When the hell did that happen? A long time ago. Screw PETA and their Sea Kittens. Sea Monkeys have been the cool since 1960 and not just once either [at least](http://www.mookychick.co.uk/cruelty_to_animals/sea_monkeys.php). I love monkeys of any sort no matter how small and I am glad someone is standing up for any of them let alone cool ones like that. ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/14 "2011-04-13T05:02:08Z")
And how do they know those brine shrimp wanted to live? Maybe those brine shrimp were seriously looking forward to death and possibly moving up a karmic level. Damn those monks! ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/15 "2011-04-13T05:16:21Z")
I’ve always thought there was a bit of cognitive dissonance (if not outright hypocrisy) in how some religious die hards in East Asia make a big show of releasing some poor fish or bird into the “wild,” and congratulating themselves for the good “karma” they’ve accumulated, with nary a thought of where the creature came from or its ultimate fate. I hear tell it’s big business in some quarters to go out and trap actual wild birds and fish and yank them from their habitats, in order to sell them to incoming tour buses of well to do Buddhist housewives and matrons, for the latter to release. Of course it’s easy to _re_capture the poor birds shortly after this trauma, and the cycle goes on until the birds are dead. Then back into the forest we go! ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/16 "2011-04-13T05:51:54Z")
Having been to Salt Lake City multiple times during the summer, I’m just thinking ‘really’. The whole city stinks with the odor of thousands of those dam things rotting on the beaches, where the waters receded. Now these clowns have decided to ‘save’ these critters by introducing more of them. Want to save the brine shrimp stand guard with squeegee and and push them back into the water before they die every year. Then you can save the shrimp and save the people of Salt lake that awful smell. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/17 "2011-04-13T10:27:35Z")
Uhm, that’s not the smell of dead brine shrimp. That’s the smell of 40 years of unregulated human waste that’s been dumped into the lake. Oh sure they’re fixing it now, but the stench remains. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/18 "2011-04-13T13:02:31Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > Uhm, that’s not the smell of dead brine shrimp. That’s the smell of 40 years of unregulated human waste that’s been dumped into the lake. Oh sure they’re fixing it now, but the stench remains. Now, now, that smell’s tempered (when the wind blows the right way) w/ the malodorous wafts from the copper mine chemicals. And the oil refinery. The SLC area is simply stank; that’s why so many people flock to live in the mountains. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/19 "2011-04-13T13:07:10Z")
Are these comments for real? It’s been an embarassingly long time since I’ve even visited SLC, but when I lived there I recall no odors at all throughout the Valley. That’s not just my rost filtered memories – I’ve lived in plenty of places that smelled pretty bad, and if SLC had been one of them, I’d remember. Has something changed there in recent years? Heck, the refineries north of SLC were nowhere _near_ as bad as the refineries in Elizabeth in my home state of New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![Yaxche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8dc957/32.png) [@Yaxche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yaxche)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078/20 "2011-04-13T14:58:04Z")
No Cal, I think they are exaggerating for effect. The air is actjally worse here in the winter, due to the inversion that builds up between storm systems, but that’s just good old CO2 building up in a valley with no outlet, much more of a concern than the smell of the brine shrimp rotting. :rolleyes: Every once in a long while, when we get gale force winds blowing in a large thunderstorm over the lake, you will smell the lake a bit I suppose, but it’s not there daily or anything I think the unregulated waste poster may be referring to Utah Lake down south towards Provo… they have had pretty bad issues there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-buddhists-illegally-save-brine-shrimp-in-the-great-salt-lake/578078.md?page=2)