Yes, you read that headline correctly. The German division for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have released a statement condemning Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5 for having fishing within the game.
The statement reads as followed:
Unethical and glorifying violence: The current portion of the video game series “Far Cry” has once again the hunt for fish on the topic. While in the previous game fish were killed with explosives, the players in Far Cry 5 can start with the fishing different species of fish and receives depending on the species, a different score. PETA now appeals to the German representation of the game developer, the market Ubisoft GmbH in Dusseldorf, will no video games in Germany more that glorify the hunting and killing of fish or other animals and trivialize. The animal rights group proposes instead to develop games with wild animals that do not glorify killing as a leisure activity.“Fishing means to attract fish into a trap, they for minutes to hours anxiety and shortness of breath and an often excruciating agony suspend before finally slain or are often cut still alive,” Dr. Tanja Breining, a marine biologist and Technical Officer for fish and marine animals at PETA. “Today we know that a fish is a somebody, not a something and there is an indictment, to promote fishing. Fish are inquisitive vertebrates with individual personalities. “In some intelligence tests fish do better than chimpanzees, orangutans and capuchin monkeys [1]. They have a complex social life and close some close friendships. Some fish sing like birds at dawn in the choir, others protect their young by taking the offspring at risk in the mouth or weeks the eggs guard [2]. But above all, you feel anxiety, stress and pain. In addition to international scientific studies and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute comes, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, in its opinion for the federal government to the conclusion that “fish for pain perception are capable and should be treated accordingly as sensitive beings and protected.” [3]The fight against associated with the fishing animal cruelty has prominent supporters. The ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney describes his first and only fishing experience as follows: “Many years ago I was fishing one time. When I caught up with the poor fish, I realized that I was going to kill him – just for a fleeting treat. Because something just clicked in me. When I saw how he struggled for breath, I knew that his life at that moment was as important as me mine. “Even Albert Schweitzer wrote in his memoirs how much him writhing while fishing on the hook worms and killing the fish have shaken his child’s soul. After two fishing he could not stand the strain and tried out of compassion to stop others from fishing.
