Far Cry 5 has been a lot of things to a lot of people. It’s been a fun romp through rural Montana with all kinds of objectives to complete. Some consider it another forgettable entry in a long running franchise. A few focus on the animal petting and flying. But one of these elements is causing a surprising stir. Far Cry 5 has been making waves.
The German division of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) released a statement saying Ubisoft should not include fishing in its future games. According to PETA, the developer/publisher needs to get their facts straight before they try to include what’s commonly considered a popular hobby/pastime for many cultures around the globe. Fishing is wrong, according tl the group. It’s unethical and an affront to everything sacred in the world. You. Should. Not. Be. Fishing. What on Earth is wrong with all of you?
I am laying on the sarcasm here, as it is hard to believe that PETA is complaining about fishing… fishing! Humans from various regions across the globe, in different time periods, have fished for various reasons. PETA might have some legs to stand on if they were complaining about the act of trophy fishing, but even then the stance would be wobbly. Here, they are saying that fishing in general just shouldn’t be a thing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being vegetarian, vegan, or what have you. But you shouldn’t try to push those ideologies onto other people.
As someone who doesn’t enjoy the taste of fish, it’s funny that I’m the one making this argument. But there are so many valuable nutrients in fish! It’s widely considered a very healthy meat to be eating, as it provides a lot of proteins and fats that other animals and foods don’t have. And for a good many people around the world, it’s an easily obtainable source of food. There are all kinds of rules and regulations for fishing, at least in the U.S., where Far Cry 5 takes place. There just aren’t many reasons I can see for why safe, private fishing should cease.
That’s where PETA’s typical emotional warfare comes in. They’re not saying that people are intentionally cruel to fish or that abusive fish farms are a thing. Nope, their argument is simple: fish are social creatures and they can feel fear. By fishing, we are disrupting complex social structures, ripping fish from their friends and family, and scaring the living daylights out of them. The statement from PETA has one quote from Tanja Breining, a marine biologist, who said, “Today, we know that a fish is somebody, not something, and it is an indictment to promote fishing. Fish are curious vertebrates with individual personalities.” So while you might think the Admiral is just a prize to hang on your wall, you couldn’t be more wrong. (According to Breining.)
Animals (and I mean humans here too) have been eating other animals since the dawn of time. We need sustenance. There’s a pattern of thinking with PETA types that isn’t going to end. Eating cows is bad; don’t eat cows. Eating chickens is bad; don’t eat chickens. Eating fish is bad; don’t eat fish! Eating bugs is bad; don’t eat bugs!! Eating plants is bad! Don’t! Eat! Plants! I don’t know about you, but I adore eating, and I don’t want to continue down this path to bio-engineered liquid/dehydrated space food.
All of that aside, there’s something very bizarre about the fact that PETA chose to focus on this particular issue when it comes to Far Cry 5 . They don’t seem to care in the slightest about the fact that the game is literally about slaughtering cult members by the dozens. It also seems like an incredible oversight that they didn’t actually complain about the questlines that require people to kill animals like pigs, cows, and bulls. So why in the world did they go straight to fish?
What are your thoughts on the matter?