EBTV with host Evita Ochel and featured guest Jonathan Balcombe, who shares about his recent book What a Fish Knows to share the science about the lives of fish and examine our relationships with them.

Jonathan is a scientist, author and speaker. He has degrees in biology, a PhD in animal behavior, and is the author of several books including:

1. Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals
2. Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good
3. What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins

Specific topics covered include:

Part 1: The Science of the Secret Lives of Fish

1. Jonathan’s inspiration for studying animal behavior. (2:07)

2. Jonathan’s reason for writing his book “What a Fish Knows”. (3:51)

3. Exploring the fish’s ability to feel or experience pain.(6:39)

4. Why the use of the word “fishes” is more appropriate than “fish” for plural references. (9:40)

5. The precious and adorable behavior of fish and their ability to bond (11:28)

   • reciprocal social behavior in fish (14:46)

6. The cognitive abilities of fish, including tool use and problem solving. (15:38)

7. How fish experience their world; the senses they have. (18:30)

   • social communication

8. Fish’s ability to play. (22:00)

Part 2: Practical Applications of Our Relationships with Fish

1. Using fish as a commodity and implications of commercial fishing. (24:52)

   • half of all marine life lost in 40 years

2. The impacts of farmed fish on fish and our health. (29:16)

   • Study on farmed salmon (http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/5/160030)
   • farmed fish so stressed and depressed they give up on life (http://www.mercyforanimals.org/study-fish-on-factory-farms-so-stressed-and)

3. Deceptive food industry practices: mislabeled food species. (34:14)

   • mystery fish consumer report (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/december/food/fake-fish/overview/index.htm)

4. The impacts of personal fishing. (35:00)

   • the impact of “catch and release”
   • the harm done to fish

5. Jonathan’s approach and advice for people who eat fish or fish. (38:17)

6. The impacts of home fish tanks and aquamarine parks. (40:27)

7. The audience and intention for “What a Fish Knows”. (44:34)

   “Knowledge is a powerful thing; it informs ethics and fuels revolutions.”

   Jonathan Balcombe, What a Fish Knows

8. Jonathan’s events and research. (46:35)

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Books by Jonathan Balcombe