Fish have been shown to feel pain, why not shellfish? I think the question becomes - why do some people separate some living beings from others? Generally, most people will feel more compassion towards animals that are more similar to humans than others. The less obvious such similarities are, the less compassion many people have. Such is most likely the reasoning of those who drafted the US Animal Welfare Act for not including cold blooded animals in the Act. Birds/foul are given the least protection under animal protection laws, when they have been proven to be complex, social, feeling beings.
The spider/roach thing - partially there are safety and health concerns with these types of things. We do kill black widows (and brown recluses, but they are rare here), as they are dangerous to both us and our pets, and they love to come out on our porches (and sometimes into our house) during the summer. Other spiders, we try to leave alone when we can as they are beneficial. Roaches - health issues are a concern, so sometimes measures have to be taken, but I wouldn't kill them cruelly - such as boiling them alive. Things like rats or mice that can become health issues - there are humane ways to get them out of your home.
Obviously we can't prevent all suffering and killing - we can never be sure we aren't killing ants, etc, when we are walking down the street or driving our car, but I think like Andrea, that we should show the respect and compassion we are able to in all practical ways (aside from the devastating environmental effects of commercial fishing as well as farm fishing).
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