From Raph Brous
I was disappointed that New Scientist has again ignored sickening
animal cruelty
(2 February, p 6).
Your article offered a light-hearted appraisal
of shark-fin fishing, while ignoring the horrific reality of this practice.
Sharks are hauled into boats with massive hooks, dismembered of their fins
with crude knives or axes, and then cast into the sea where they suffer a
prolonged and painful death. As a rational publication that emphasises
progressive thinking, it is saddening that New Scientist often ignores
the moral dimension of factory farming and other animal treatment, while
constantly discussing the ethical concerns surrounding nuclear power,
genetically modified organisms or unconscious embryos.
Melbourne
