Fish have been living in the Earth’s waters for over 500 million years and have adapted optimally to their natural habitats. However, captivity in aquariums can never replace the natural habitat of fish or meet the animals’ specific requirements. Even if people take loving care of fish and clean their aquariums regularly, it still happens that the animals die unexpectedly in captivity.
Despite the risks that keeping fish in an aquarium poses and the high number of deaths of animals in captivity, fish are still among the most popular “pets” in Germany.
Millions of fish suffer as “pets” in aquariums
In 2019, around 1.8 million aquariums were set up in German households [1], in which millions of fish were kept as “pets”. In this article you will receive important information about the needs of fish and learn why the animals suffer in captivity.
Can fish be kept appropriately?
It is impossible to keep fish species-appropriately in captivity in an aquarium. No matter how large and modern the glass pools may be, they can never replace the natural habitat or the vastness of lakes, rivers and seas. Currents, smells, plants, partners, conspecifics and other animal inhabitants of natural waters cannot be found in an artificially recreated habitat.
In nature, each individual fish species is optimally adapted to its natural habitat and lives under specific conditions that cannot be replicated in aquariums. And even if that were possible, the animals in aquariums are still deprived of their freedom.
It is not possible to keep fish in an aquarium in a species-appropriate manner.
Fish are sentient creatures. The social and intelligent animals are curious, capable of learning and suffer in the dreary confinement of captivity, which often leads to desolation or aggression.
We at PETA Germany are therefore calling for a ban on the import of fish and other “exotic” animals.
People who keep fish should not buy new fish after the death of individual animals and should stop keeping them – or adopt fish from the animal shelter. They should also find out about the species-specific needs of the adopted animals in terms of water quality, size and equipment of the aquarium, as well as food and social behavior. Fish suffer from stress when their needs are not met – and often die a premature death.
Ornamental fish
“Ornamental fish” in pet supplies: animal suffering due to greed for profit
The trade in aquatic animals, such as those kept in aquariums, is a global industry aimed at maximum profit. There is no central authority that tracks trade movements. There is therefore no data available on how many and which animals are traded.
Every year, several million marine animals are taken from the oceans off the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Florida alone and traded globally. Around 1,800 fish species are affected for aquarium keeping.
An estimated 95 to 99 percent of saltwater fish in pet stores come from the open ocean. Most marine fish species can hardly or not be bred at all in captivity due to their special requirements.
Around 90 percent of the freshwater fish in aquariums come from fish farms, where over 250 million fish are “produced” every year. In 2019, PETA Asia, for example, documented the shocking keeping of fighting fish in such farms in Thailand. The animals were destined for the global pet trade.
Young fish are very sensitive and often do not survive the first few weeks in the aquarium. Many fish do not survive the transport, sometimes thousands of kilometers long. Those that are eventually kept in aquariums usually die within a few months.
By buying tropical fish, you may be contributing to the extinction of certain fish species. As the documentary “The Dark Hobby” shows, millions of fish are caught every year, bringing countless species of fish to the brink of extinction. The Banggai cardinalfish, among others, is now an endangered species due to overfishing.
However, fishing also endangers the ecosystems from which the animals are taken for aquarium keeping. Coral fish, especially brightly colored ones, are difficult to catch and are often taken out of the sea with hand nets. When threatened, the animals hide between corals, which is why coral reefs are often destroyed during fishing operations. The fish are often stunned with poison and then collected. These fishing methods destroy their natural habitat and also threaten other animal.
Fish are sentient creatures, not decorative items
Fish are intelligent and social creatures. When hunting, they sometimes cooperate with other species, such as octopuses, and communicate using body language. The animals are capable of learning and learn, for example, through imitation. Some species of fish show affection by rubbing against each other.
Fish have a complex nervous system and, like all other animals, feel pain. We can’t hear them screaming, but their breathing becomes quicker, they rub the painful part, stop eating, and try to escape or consciously avoid the pain
Fish are sentient creatures that often languish in aquariums.
Fish are not “pets” that should be used as decorative items to brighten up the living room. Just like all other sentient creatures, fish deserve a happy, free and species-appropriate life.
Keep fish as “pets” species-appropriate: Adopt instead of buying!
If you are thinking about rehoming fish, please contact local rescue groups and animal shelters, as they can sometimes find fish in need of a new home. Find out comprehensively about the animals’ needs in advance and consider whether you can meet their requirements.
Make sure the tank is as large as possible, there is sufficient oxygen supply and a good water filter.
Check the water temperature regularly.
Remember that fish rely on regular aquarium cleaning and the water must be enriched according to their specific needs.
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.