A new campaign by animal rights group PETA says our underwater friends have feelings too and canned tuna and other fishy delicacies should no longer be on the menu.

The new campaign features 24-year-old British thespian and noted vegan Samantha Barks and follows similar PETA campaigns that feature known actresses in various states of undress. Barks most notably starred alongside Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe in 2012’s film adaptation of Les Misérables.

Barks – a noted animal lover – said she got involved in the PETA campaign to highlight the pain our fishy friends felt when being caught. The campaign features the lithe Barks in a racy silver swimsuit flaying about underwater. The campaign comes with the strapline: “Fish suffocate when pulled out of the water. Please try and relate and keep fish off your plate”.

Barks said of her involvement in the campaign: “I have a fascination with fish but I think that people see them as lesser than other animals,” she told Britain’s The Daily Mail.

“A dog looks like they’re going to cry when they’re upset and you can’t help but empathise with them. But fish feel pain just the way other animals do,” she said.

The PETA campaign appears to ignore continued health advice of the advantages of eating fish. While there’s never been any strong evidence that fish do in fact feel pain when hooked as their brains don’t come with the part that deals with pain recognition.