Dr. Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish. It's not because fish are endangered1, though wild fish stocks2 in many oceans are very low. It's not because they're bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances3 in the water. It’s because they're smart.
"Fish are sensitive4, they have personalities5," says the marine biologist. For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat. "I would never eat anyone I know personally6."
There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in7 behavior8 that can seem very human. They can remember things and learn from experience. Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists9 see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether.
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket. "While it may seem obvious10 that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables," says Dr. Lynne Sneddon. "Really, it's kind of a moral question. Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?"
Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are skeptical11. "I've never seen a smart fish," says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant. "If they were very smart, they wouldn't get caught."
"For years, everyone's been telling us to eat fish because it's so good for us," says another diner. "Now I've got to feel guilty12 while I'm eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don't eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?"

西尔维娅·厄尔博士希望你别再吃鱼了。这不是因为鱼濒临绝种，虽说很多海洋中野生鱼的存量都已经很少了。这也不是因为鱼对你有坏处，虽说很多地区的鱼都暴露在水里的有毒物质中。不吃鱼的原因是它们很聪明。
“鱼很敏感，它们是有个性的。”这位海洋生物学家说。对厄尔而言，吃鱼就像吃狗或猫一样。“我不会吃任何我个人认识的生物。”
鱼并不像看起来那样简单：它们会彼此交谈，它们喜欢被抚触，它们的行为很像人类。它们记得事情，也会从经验中学习。总之，厄尔和越来越多的拥护动物权利的积极份子把这些事情视为反对吃鱼的有力理由。
这些积极分子还指出，鱼会感觉到疼痛，鱼在从大海到超市的途中承受了极大的痛苦。“鱼跟其他动物一样能够感觉到痛楚，虽说这是显而易见的事，但有些人却把鱼视为会游泳的蔬菜。”琳·雪登博士说，“事实上，这是一种道德上的问题，你从钓鱼﹙或吃鱼﹚中得到的享受比鱼的痛苦还要重要吗？”
渔夫们和爱吃﹙炸﹚鱼的人很怀疑。“我从来没见过什么聪明的鱼。”玛莉·斯瓦林根在西雅图一家海鲜餐厅吃完一盘鱼以后说，“如果它们很聪明，它们就不会被抓到了。”
“多年以来，每个人都叫我们吃鱼，因为这对我们很有益处。”另一位用餐的人说，“现在我就得在自己吃鱼的时候觉得罪过了吗？他们接下来还会想出些什么来？不要吃沙拉，因为小黄瓜是有感觉的吗？”