In one moment, she swam happily through the pristine water of the Atlantic Ocean and in the next she had a hook lodged in her mouth as she fought for her life. Imagine what that must be like for a fish.
I will not forget what followed.
**
I could barely watch….and looked from afar with amazement and sadness at the mob surrounding the fish.
**
‘What was everyone doing near the fish,’ I asked.
‘They were posing for pictures with it,’ she replied.
**
Knowing fish as I do, I’ve thought about that fish every day since her death.
As a child, my father used to take me fishing. I didn’t think. When I see people fishing now, I feel sad. I think. I root for the fish to swim away.
**
You can make fun of people who value the lives of fish…It does not change the fact that you are contributing to the abuse and death of an innocent creature that feels pain, values bonds, and has a purpose that, although you may not understand, is no less valuable than your own.

You can read Andrew’s complete essay, “Caught: The True Story of a Fish,” at: http://kirschnerskorner.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/caught-the-true-story-of-a-fish/