Like Serving Poodle Burgers at a Dog Show…
Karin Robertson, manager of PETA’s “Fish Empathy Project,” has asked the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA to stop serving fish in its cafeteria.. She claims “serving fish at an aquarium is like serving poodle burgers at a dog show” and notes that “they don’t sell elephant burgers at the zoo, and they shouldn’t be selling fish at aquariums.”
For me, this raises several questions:
* I wonder how many people would eagerly try a poodle burger or an elephant burger, whether served at a dog show, a zoo or somewhere else? I’ve given up underestimating Americans’ appetite for burgers.
* What professional development steps must a person take to get a job working at the Fish Empathy Project? I assume that most people are unaware of this as a career option.
* If the Aquarium does not have a whales exhibit, would PETA be OK if they served whale burgers?
Unfortunately, the Aquarium of the Pacific has declined PETA’s request, continuing to offer clam chowder, rainbow trout, catfish, tilapia and salmon.
I really like the name “Fish Empathy Project” — my mental image is of a self-help group social worker, probably with a degree from Berkeley, sitting in a circle with several fish trying to get them to be more empathetic.