Peta offers to help repair Belfast’s Big Fish - in exchange for pro-vegan plaque
The 10‑metre ceramic Big Fish on Belfast’s River Lagan has become a beloved landmark since local artist John Kindness installed it in 1999 to celebrate the river’s revival. Its bright form and playful detail draw tourists who pause for photos and even give the fish a friendly pat for luck.
Over the weekend the sculpture suffered a serious act of vandalism when one of its glass eyes was shattered, prompting a police investigation and a cordoned‑off repair site. The damage has reignited concern for preserving public art in the city.
Seizing the moment, PETA wrote to Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, offering to fund the repairs on the condition that a plaque be added, urging visitors to "spare a thought for gentle fish killed for their flesh by going vegan." The organization framed the appeal as a tribute to the fish’s symbolic role and to the artist’s original intent.
The proposal has sparked a lively debate about the intersection of activism and artistic heritage. While some welcome the swift restoration, others question whether a political message should be grafted onto a work that already speaks for the river’s renewal. The outcome will reveal how Belfast balances the preservation of its public art with the growing influence of advocacy groups.