Saboteurs Return: Remaining 20,000 Fish Released in California

"They came back"

In an incredible move, saboteurs returned to the Bay Area site where 40,000 salmon were released Monday night and released the remaining 20,000. The pen that was untouched in Monday's action was cut open, releasing the last of the fish held captive by the Tiburon Salmon Institute.

The head of the institute stated:

"They clipped the zip ties that hold the nets in place. We were trying to solicit funds for a security camera. But we couldn't get a security camera put up quick enough, and they came back."

The Marin County Sheriff's Department is investigating the vandalism, and said they have a meeting planned with the FBI.

Misguided action?

The conversation on these actions has centered on two things:

* The institute's assertion that the fish were raised to be released into the bay anyway, in a ceremony to be held October 30th.

*How upset the high school students who raised the fish are.

Three things are lost here:

*The "project" was done in partnership on this project with the San Francisco Tyee Club: a fishing group. Yet they would still have us believe this project was about helping fish.

*The basic philosophical underpinning that humans do not have a say in where, how, or when any animal is held captive. Casa Grande High School students who were involved with this program have no right to imprison 40,000 fish in a big net for a single day. Anyone who keeps any animal in a cage anywhere should be reminded: "the ALF is watching".

*Most "wildlife research" is a fraud to benefit animal agriculture under the guise of "conservation". So many lies have been told under the pretext of "wildlife conservation", that an incredible burden of proof rests on anyone doing a "wildlife research program" to show their program is not intended solely to benefit people who kill animals for profit.

"Humane Treatment"

People involved in the program have been vocal about how well their fish treated. They don't say this "humane treatment" is 20,000 fish each in 16-by-25-by-8-foot pens. Television news footage of the pens show fish packed at a density that is clearly inhumane and unnatural for any salmon.

Having now lost every fish held, the program of the Tiburon Salmon Institute and Case Grande High School is a total loss.

And those who held the fish captive are still complaining, as though they every had a right to keep 60,000 fish in nets to begin with:

"This has put a damper on the whole project. We've got to find out who did this to us and why. It's so ludicrous."

- Peter Young