Anchovies Protest European Fishing Ban
Millions of anchovies protested the European Unions ban on fishing for them by committing mass suicide. The juveniles flung themselves ashore since they no longer had any real reason to exist.
The fish, all juveniles, were found stranded along large stretches of Colunga beach, 35 miles east of the port city of Gijon, a normally pristine seaside landscape in the verdant province of Asturias.
"More than three tons have been found so far, and our main — untested — hypothesis at the moment is that they tried to flee from predators and accidentally beached," said Luis Laria, chief coordinator of a marine protection unit working with the government.
Laria said a European Union moratorium on fishing anchovies along the northern Atlantic coast of Spain and the western coast of France has been in place for two months. Less rigorous fishing restrictions had been used for the previous two years.
Their only real dream was to someday to be picked off a pizza. Now they have nothing. Poor little fellas just couldn't take it.
UPDATE: I have been informed by a friend that if the EU had simply provided elementary job retraining for these poor creatures that none of this would have happened. Yet another failure of socialism. It's time to take my friend back to the home now. His day pass is up.
By Pescadero, Friday, 29 September , 2006 @ 4:44 pm
Are you sure they weren’t released by PETA and died simply because, as farmed raised fish, they were unaware that they couldn’t walk?
By Gaius, Friday, 29 September , 2006 @ 4:47 pm
That could be. But I have to update this!
By BubbaB, Monday, 2 October , 2006 @ 3:59 pm
“pescadero” = “fishmonger” or “seller of fish”
Very funny…
—BubbaB