Pain Fishing means intense pain and stress for millions of fish every year. Fish are treated in ways which would cause an outrage if cute, furry creatures were involved - but fish suffer just as much. Pain begins when the hook pierces the mouth and the fish is reeled in.
Many people remove the hook while the fish is still alive.
Anyone who has ever had a fish hook stuck in their own flesh needs no convincing that this is extremely painful. Pain is further increased if large fish are landed with a gaff hook. This large hook on a handle rips into the flesh of the live fish to pull it out of the water. Livebaiting is another barbaric activity that increases pain. A live small fish is threaded up as bait for larger fish.