Group's Mermaid Poster Says, 'Try to Relate to Who Is on Your Plate'
For Immediate Release:
August 1, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Fort Worth, Texas -- After hearing that the city of Fort Worth is keeping its public swimming pools closed for a second summer because of budget concerns, PETA sent a letter to Richard Zavala, the director of the city's Parks & Community Services Department, with a suggestion that could help the department, animals, and human health all at the same time: Allow paid advertisements at the facilities, and PETA will kick off the effort with a pro-fish ad that features a beautiful mermaid and reads, "Try to Relate to Who Is on Your Plate. Fish Are Friends, Not Food." In the letter, PETA points out that fish are intelligent animals who feel pain just as all other animals do—and that the consumption of fish has been linked to health problems caused by mercury, PCBs, and other toxins.
"Our offer is a win-win solution: Fort Worth's pools will net themselves a paying sponsor, and people will be reminded that fish are smart, fascinating, and sensitive animals who deserve compassion," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Fort Worth residents can stay healthy by taking a brisk dip in a pool and by cutting out toxic fish flesh from their diets."
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
PETA's letter to Parks Director Richard Zavala follows.
August 1, 2011
Dear Mr. Zavala,
I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our thousands of members and supporters in Texas with a suggestion to help the city of Fort Worth raise funds to reopen its public pools. The city could accept paid advertising at the pools, and PETA would be happy to run the first ad, featuring a "mermaid" and reading, "Try to Relate to Who Is on Your Plate. Fish Are Friends, Not Food!"
In addition to providing some revenue to help renovate the pools and perhaps spawning the idea for other advertisers to follow suit, our ad would inform people of the many good reasons not to eat fish. Studies have repeatedly confirmed that fish are intelligent animals who feel pain as any animal does. Fish form bonds, cooperate with other fish, and have impressive memories. In the fishing industry, they are suffocated or cut open while still alive on the decks of fishing boats. Fish in "aquafarms" spend their entire lives squashed up against each other in filthy enclosures, and many suffer from parasitic infections, diseases, and debilitating injuries.
A 2003 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that people who eat fish may be getting a hearty dose of mercury in their meals. Many participants in the study had symptoms associated with low-level mercury poisoning, including fatigue, headaches, depression, hair loss, and a decrease in concentration. Fish flesh is also frequently contaminated with toxic chemicals like DDT, PCBs, and dioxin—which have been linked to cancer, nervous system disorders, and fetal damage—as well as disease-causing bacteria.
By running our ad, Fort Worth can buoy its city-run pools while also spreading a message of kindness and good health. Please contact me to discuss the idea. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President