Prawning (Prawn fishing)

Prawn fishing (in Singapore we called it prawning) has become an "in" thing here.

How does it work? You go to a prawn farm where live prawns are reared, bait catch them, skewer them alive on sticks, and in many cases, barbeque them to death alive, and eat them.

There are many pictures of smiling faces with a live prawn dangling on a rod, or holding a half-dead skewered prawn etc., often with jokes made out of their suffering. There was even a video which I saw teenagers torturing the single prawn they caught during the session. It is disappointing that we have become desensitized to this level where we can joked about others' suffering. To devoid another of life is bad enough, not to even speak of giving them the extra torment for some selfish thrill and joking about it.

Prawning and fishing are just some activities that just aren't worth trying out. If people can spend $30 dollars for a few hours catching almost nothing, why not use that to buy some food for those in poverty or donate it to other causes? You will notice a nice feeling in your heart instead compared to the tight feeling when you struggle with whatever creature is on the hook.

It is important that we understand that animals are not meant for anybody to eat and exploit.

Some days back, I happened to be at a canal where there were lots of small fishes in it, there was a man with his young son in a pram. He was telling his son "Fish. Fish." I was caught by surprise when the son said "mumm mumm" (meaning "eat eat"). The dad confirmed the link that fish = food to his boy. The incident etch deeply in my mind, and taught me how important that children made the right associations when they are young. If they were taught that fishes = food, most would grow up having that mindset.

I too have been brought up with the chicken = food, fish = for eating etc. mindset. But later, it dawned on me that this was not the case and was never the case! If it was the case we wouldn't have feel painful or heavy when we see animals killed, we wouldn't cry or frown when they are skinned etc. Instinctively, we will have these reactions, unless we have been desensitized.

We are living in a world where our hearts feel like stone. There nothing strong about that, and there is nothing weak about crying when you see others suffering. We have been too selfish, maybe that's why we have 2012 approaching. It is time to wake that heart up, and we can start by quitting prawning or fishing.