Welfare Issues in Ornamental Fish
Dr David Speare, AVC
Tropical fish and goldfish are the 3rd most popular pet in North America, with one household in
three having an aquarium. In North America, in 2004, there were 180 million tropical fish sold
along with an equal number of goldfish. Although many fish are relatively low cost, others especially koi carp and marine fish - often exceed $100 per fish. An exceptional koi carp can be
worth over $100,000. The availability of better tank equipment, and the popularity of the movie
“Finding Nemo” have led to an explosion of interest in artificial reef systems and this in turn has
increased the rate of fish harvest from vulnerable near-shore tropical reef ecosystems. Very few
tropical fish owners know where their fish originally came from, and what has happened to the
fish during their journey from oceans, rivers, streams or fish farms. Nor is it appreciated that
over 240,000,000 wild fish are collected each year for the pet trade. Sadly, because of the
collection techniques used, and poor shipping techniques, only 10% of these fish survive their
journey, and - of the survivors - many of these die within weeks after being sold to hobbyists.
Until recently, the tropical fish industry has been very low profile. Few countries have
regulatory framework limiting tropical fish importation. Concerns over the unrelenting harvest of
fish from vulnerable areas of the Amazon river, and from ocean reefs already under a variety of
environmental pressures has recently started to shed some light on the environmental, public
health, and fish welfare issues within the tropical fish industry. As information becomes
available, hobbyists will become educated consumers and be able to make better choices of
which fish to choose for their home aquariums.