From Animal Defenders of Westchester (ADOW)

We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

Selling marine life short to sell snacks

https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/07/23/readers-sound-off-on-aquatic-intelligence-world-cup-winners-and-nycha-failures/

Tuckahoe, N.Y.: In order to sell a questionable product, the ad for Goldfish crackers states, “Goldfish have short memories.” But goldfish, like most fish, have excellent memories. Studies have shown that they can retain information for weeks and even as long as five months. Where’s the truth in advertising? They’d never promote such lies about people to sell a product, but the animals are a safe target.

Most marine dwellers are actually highly intelligent, far more than we’ve been willing to give them credit for. For 20 years, millions have delighted in videos of Emma the Shark enjoying head pets like a puppy from her human ocean visitor, and people who befriend octopuses remark at their cleverness and excellent problem-solving skills. Negligent, unnecessary practices like fisheries using destructive, large-scale drift nets, and various “adventure” activities, avoid the fact of fish sentience and intelligence.

But people are changing. The entire New York State Legislature just passed a bill banning octopus farming, a deplorable practice that miserably exploits octopuses in horrible conditions. We await Gov. Hochul taking the decent step of signing the octopus farming bill, and we urge Pepperidge Farms and all businesses to tell the truth about animals instead of shamefully lying about goldfish — or any non-human animal who can’t defend themselves — just to sell a cracker.

Kiley Blackman

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