Shō sakana 小魚 (little fish)

This evening on the news there was a story about ice fishing. Living in Minnesota, it's very common and being the land of 10,000 lakes (we actually have over 20,000), it's many people's past time. Of course we all know that most people all over the world love to fish.

Anyway, I was watching this broadcast and something struck me as quite odd. There they all were: men, women and children, gathered around this hole in the ice, waiting for someone to reel in a fish, any fish. Once that fish flopped onto the ice and began thrashing about, trying to get away, everyone started cheering.

I suddenly became sad and had to look away. There it was, this fish, dying as people around it watched and clapped and smiled. Why would they be so happy to see a creature struggling with a hook in its mouth? No doubt wondering and asking itself why these people were so delighted to watch it die. 

Why is it acceptable to show someone killing a fish on TV but it's not acceptable to show someone killing a pig or a cow or a dog or cat? And don't give me that crap about "companion animals vs. food animals". There are plenty of people that own pet cows and pigs just like there are plenty of people that eat cats and dogs. Or that our ancestors fished so it's ok for us to as well. (They fished to survive, you fish to have fun.) 

Why a fish? Is it because it doesn't make any noises as it dies? Because it doesn't scream or cry when it's hurt and afraid? Because it doesn't have the same fluffy ears and button nose of a cat? Because when it looks at you it's unable to give you those "puppy dog eyes"? 

There seems to be no bond between fish and humans whatsoever. 

When we were children most of us had a goldfish. We fed it, we watched it swim, we admired its remarkable coloring and thought how cute it was when it opened and closed its mouth. It would seem that we cared about it. But did we really? I hear the argument made all the time, "I had a dog/cat when I was growing up and I could/would never eat one of them." You also had a fish.

Now I can look at you in peace; I don't eat you any more.
Franz Kafka, while admiring fish in an aquarium