Pike Place Fish is a major tourist attraction in Seattle. Fishmongers skillfully toss a purchased fish from the front display to the back side of the counter. Crowds gather and cheer. It’s quite a show and is often on TV for local interest on national broadcasts of a major sports events.
According to the Seattle Times, these fish-tossers are scheduled to make a presentation at an upcoming convention of veterinarians. Enter PETA, the animal rights people. From their letter to the vets:
You should know that people who care about animals are appalled that a veterinary organization, whose purpose is to represent the interests of those whose jobs involve protecting the well-being of animals would promote an event in which animals are treated so disrespectfully and are handled as if they were toys.
These fish are dead. Gutted. Cleaned. About to be fileted and wrapped up to be taken home and pan seared or grilled. I love salmon, especially with a nice Oregon Pinot Noir.
There is even a business book from these fish mongers called When Fish Fly: Lessons For Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace From the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market
Twitter Updates
This fish can’t fly like a bird , but it leaps into the air , upto 6m [20ft] then glides for about 400m [1,300ft] before splashing back .
Just beofre take off the fish swims toward the surface and bursts into the air (can be at speeds up to 55kmph). Once it’s ariborne it spreads it’s large pectoral fins. So the fish doesn’t really fly, it’s more like a glider.
For fresh water, mainly rivers, I fish a few rivers in Washington State, with the main one being the Yakima River. I fish that river a lot.