World’s First Fish Empathy Quilt

To shine a light on the billions of fish who are abused and killed by humans every year for food and “sport”, PETA entities’ members and supporters have created the world’s first Fish Empathy Quilt. More than 100 squares have already been crafted by kind people across the world, and we want to keep this number growing!

Who Creates the Squares?

So far, each square has been handmade by members and supporters of PETA entities around the world. Many participants also submitted touching stories about why they no longer eat or catch fish, including the following:

A Girl Scout troop from Texas, US, submitted several patches. The troop members were inspired by a discussion with a former commercial fisher – who had since gone vegetarian – about the damage that fishing does to animals and the environment.
A quilter from Manitoba, Canada, shared a story concerning how she and her grandfather stopped fishing because of the cruelty involved. They found other ways to spend quality time together instead.

Several quilters made patches that bear the PETA slogan that Finding Nemo made famous: “Fish Are Friends, Not Food!”

Why Make a Fish Empathy Quilt?

Billions of fish are killed each year so that people can eat their flesh, while millions more are ripped from their homes for “fun” by anglers. The quilters wanted to come together to make the statement that fish deserve compassion because they’re intelligent animals who feel pain.

Fish have nervous systems that register and respond to pain. Scientists tell us that fish’s brains and nervous systems closely resemble our own and that fish are just as able to feel pain as cats or dogs.

Fish are intelligent animals who observe, learn, use tools, and form sophisticated social structures. They also have impressive long-term memories.

Fish talk to each other with squeaks, squeals, and other low-frequency sounds that humans can hear only with the help of special instruments. Some fish even woo their potential partners by singing to them!

Some fish tend well-kept gardens, build nests, and collect rocks for building hiding places where they can rest.

Help Us Grow the Fish Quilt!

If you’re a kind crafter who would like to help us expand the Fish Empathy Quilt, please send us a panel! Mail your fish-friendly creation (measuring 17 inches by 17 inches with an additional quarter-inch seam allowance around the design) to PETA, PO Box 70315, London N1P 2RG United Kingdom. Together, we can create a lasting piece of art that highlights the many ways in which fish are our friends, not food.