There is vigorous ongoing debate about whether fish feel pain and have the capacity to suffer. The body of literature dedicated to the topic is increasing but what is particularly problematic is that the majority of the contributions represent opinion pieces and thus fall within the realm of advocacy. Many of the empirical research papers purporting that fish do or do not feel pain have problems with cavalier use of definitions, poor experimental design, or statistical/technical issues and tend to include advocacy statements in their interpretations. Rather than continuing to spin our wheels and deepen the divide, I would advocate our community undertake a balanced, transparent and rigorous appraisal of all available evidence to help guide us and provide more clarity on pain and suffering in fish. This could be done through the use of evidence synthesis techniques such as systematic review and should be done by a reputable independent body such as a learned society or scholarly organization. Our continued emphasis on littering the peer-reviewed literature with opinion and advocacy is only confusing the matter for the public, media, policy makers and the rest of the scientific community.
This article examines threat perception as a potential dimension of inter-group conflict over salmon fisheries in Canada's Fraser River watershed. Environmental changes and the entry of new user groups are putting pressure on both the resource and regulators, as well as threatening to exacerbate conflicts, notably between First Nation (indigenous) fishers and non-indigenous recreational anglers. While resource conflicts are often superficially conceptualized as cases of competing interests, we build on recent studies suggesting that conflicts are associated with deeper cognitive and perceptual differences among user groups. We report findings from 422 riverbank interviews with First Nation fishers and recreational anglers focusing on perceptions of threat to the fisheries. Responses reveal both substantial agreement and disagreement in threat perceptions between the two groups. These patterns provide a potential roadmap for consensus building, and suggest possible avenues for policy-makers to defuse the "blame game" that often dominates this type of conflict.
The Rideau Canal in Canada was constructed in the 1800s to enable strategic military and commercial transport in eastern Ontario between Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River. Today, the Rideau Canal is managed by Parks Canada and remains an engineered ecosystem, particularly in the urban Ottawa reach (7 km long) where it is largely channelized and is partially drained during the winter to protect canal infrastructure (i.e., locks) and provide recreational opportunities (i.e., skating). Interestingly, the Ottawa reach of the Rideau Canal supports one of the few wild urban muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) fisheries in North America supported by natural reproduction. However, little is known about the spatial ecology, residency patterns or survival of this apex freshwater predator in urban environments or canal systems. Radio-telemetry was used to study adult (N = 10; total size range of 64 to 122 cm) muskellunge in the Ottawa reach of the Rideau Canal over a multiple year period. The seasonal movements and home range of muskellunge were greatest during spring corresponding with the period when water levels in the canal were raised and muskellunge were presumably seeking out suitable spawning habitats following ice-off. During the summer fish ranged throughout the entire 7 km urban reach of the canal and by early fall muskellunge moved to the deeper parts of the reach and became largely restricted to an embayment known as Dow's Lake prior to the lowering of the canal where they stayed for the entire winter. The same pattern of seasonal movements persisted across several years. None of the tagged muskellunge were stranded from the fall canal drainage. One fish emigrated from the urban reach of the canal during the study period, moving upstream through a lock to an exurban reach. In addition, a single tagged fish died from a winterkill event. Environmental influences such as seasonality and water depth (associated with canal operations) are believed to be the primary mechanisms contributing to habitat selection and movement patterns of muskellunge in this reach of the Rideau Canal. Data on the spatial ecology of muskellunge in the urban reaches of the Rideau Canal will inform management of this unique population of fish to ensure that the historic and ecological values are balanced to preserve this iconic Canadian natural heritage site and its biota. ; "The authors would like to thank the Ottawa Chapter of Muskies Canada for the funding and field assistance provided during this study." ; https://www.alr-journal.org/articles/alr/abs/2010/02/alr012-10/alr012-10.html
