THE Countryside Alliance’s Campaign for Angling has hit out at the Disney corporation for allowing animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to exploit a film poster for its latest film Finding ‘Nemo’ to help promote vegetarianism to youngsters.
Charles Jardine described as “irresponsible and potentially damaging” the campaign to convert very young children to a meat-free diet. He commented
“This latest campaign is anthropomorphism run amok – not only does PETA want children to believe that animals have human emotions, which research suggests they most certainly do not, but they are endangering the nutrition
of a generation who need all the healthy dietary examples they can get in an age of junk food.
“I will be writing to Disney to alert them to the animal rights activities of PETA and asking them if they really want to be linked to a group which advocates an extreme code of putting animals ahead of the rights and welfare of people. If Disney truly has the welfare of young people at heart they
should be promoting the sport of fishing, not denouncing it”.
Mr Jardine continued: “Angling is enjoyed by millions of people the world over and is an inclusive and sociable activity – millions of people who also recognise that fish is a nutritious and healthy part of the diet. It is irresponsible and naïve of Disney to use a cartoon to influence impressionable young minds who will believe trends rather than look at the facts.”