Yes, Fish Feel Pain

Reviewing a book by Ila France Porcher inevitably comes with a certain awkwardness. She has long been one of X-Ray Magazine’s most thoughtful and prolific contributors, particularly on shark behaviour and marine animal cognition. Complete neutrality may therefore be difficult to claim outright. Still, Yes, Fish Feel Pain raises questions that deserve engagement regardless of familiarity with the author.

The book examines the long-standing debate over whether fish experience pain in a conscious and meaningful way, or whether their reactions are merely instinctive reflexes. Porcher approaches the subject through a broad survey of scientific studies, behavioural observations and neurological research, arguing that the evidence increasingly points towards sentience rather than simple automatic response.

One of the book’s strengths is that it does not rely on emotional rhetoric alone. Instead, it builds its argument gradually, drawing together findings from multiple disciplines. Studies of avoidance learning, stress behaviour, social interaction and nociception are presented accessibly, making the material understandable even for readers without a scientific background. Porcher also places the discussion in a wider historical context, examining how assumptions about fish intelligence and awareness have often reflected cultural attitudes rather than established science.

At times, the book clearly leans towards advocacy. Readers looking for a strictly detached scientific overview may find that the conclusion is evident from the outset. Yet the topic itself arguably makes complete neutrality difficult. The ethical implications are impossible to separate entirely from the science.

For divers, underwater photographers and anyone who spends time observing marine life, the book may prove quietly unsettling. It challenges familiar habits of thought and asks readers to reconsider where fish fit within broader discussions of animal welfare and cognition.

Whether one fully accepts all of Porcher’s conclusions or not, Yes, Fish Feel Pain contributes meaningfully to an increasingly important conversation—one that is likely to become harder to ignore as research into animal consciousness continues to evolve.