Save The Whale (and the halibut)

A frightening news story from Groanin' Jock's backyard came to light over the weekend, as suspected animal rights activists freed some farmed halibut from their cages near Oban.

These fish farm freedom fighters caused thousands of pounds' worth of damage to fish cages in their valiant attempt to 'free' the imprisoned halibut.

When I said that this story was scary, I didn't mean that I feared for my life. I meant that it is frightening that people so stupid exist.

What benefit do they think they are doing to anyone, or to the halibut, by damaging these cages and freeing the fish?

The cages are already in the sea, and are big enough to allow the fish to swim around quite contentedly. No experiments are being done on the fish, no-one is spraying them with deodorant or forcing shampoo into their eyes in the sake of cosmetic advancement.

In fact, all that was being done was the growing of fish from ickle baby fish into fish big enough for humans to eat.

The idiots who released the fish perhaps haven't realised that, in the open sea, the halibut will probably either be caught by a fisherman or eaten by something bigger, thus making their efforts to free the fish entirely pointless.

I have to admit that I tend to find animal rights activists in all their incarnations pretty irritating. A blinkered belief that any animal not in its natural habit is in need of emancipation is a frankly ridiculous notion. I am also generally sceptical of vegetarians who proclaim that man is not supposed to eat meat.

We are, that's why we have the physiques and attributes suited to hunting rather than grazing. It's also why our canine teeth are shaped the way they are - to rip through the carcass of whatever animal we've just killed.

I just look forward to the next attack by the group which struck at the Oban fish farm, whether that means freeing chickens from a farm or cows from a field. Or maybe they'll set their sights higher and release the giraffes, gorillas and tigers from Edinburgh Zoo. Now that WOULD be interesting.