"It's OK to eat fish 'cos they don't have any feelings." So sang Kurt Cobain on "Something in the Way," from 1991's "Nevermind" album.
We all know that Kurt felt pain -- he wouldn't have made such good records if he didn't. But do fish feel pain? It's a concept that many vegetarians, anglers, researchers working on animal behavior, and animal-rights activists ponder. (For those people in Japan who, like many in France, are not aware of the concept of "animal rights," it is the proposal that animals be accorded similar treatment and protection from exploitation that we accord humans.)
Birds and mammals, research has shown, can feel pain. But coldblooded fish? Until recently, there was no conclusive answer. Now scientists from the Roslin Institute and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have provided one, showing for the first time that pain perception exists in fish.