Win A Goldfish

[Valmyre]

Hmm, A friend told me she saw some Goldfish at a fair the other day. These were given out as prizes.
Is this still legal? cos' i'm sure it was banned a coulple of years ago.

 

[jkrekord]

no sadly i dont think it is illegal but it sure as hell should be

 

[CluelessScot]

I think thats the main reason people keep goldfish in a 1 gallon bowl. They seem to think because they can win them at the fair that its all good and they aint worth much very sad how most people bypass coldwater fish in general

Kev

 

[Ben]

It just recently became illegal in Rome, and im pretty sure it is illegal in some Europeon countries.

Sadly, not in the UK, US or AUS.

DD

 

[Valmyre]

It just recently became illegal in Rome, and im pretty sure it is illegal in some Europeon countries.

Sadly, not in the UK, US or AUS.

DD

thanks for the info, hopefully soon the uK will ban it too

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

This is basically where the debate was last left;

http/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4174457.stm

....so as long as you are with somone who is 16 or older its perfectly legal to pick up goldfish at fairs...
What that point completely misses is that no live animals should be treated as cheap fair toys, the debate is still not adressing the main issues and that is that people who give away fish at fairs do not give away any adequate things with the fish that the fish needs to live like fish food, dechlorinator, filter and an adequate sized tank.

 

[triliaeris]

They still do that here. It's horrible. But sadly, it's how I got interested in fish in the first place. They had a small fair at my university and there they had small bowls with goldfish. To win one, you had to toss a ball into the bowl.

Well, I had been wanting fish so just decided to get one. It ended up dying later, but I've loved fish ever since.

 

[pricey_avfc]

my brother won 1 from a fair 15 years ago and its still alive

 

[The-Wolf]

Hi Darrk
you may find this of some help
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=98515&hl=

 

[Ethos]

I've never seen one at a fait before...

 

[Mr.September15]

I've seen it at the fair A long long time ago. Sadly I didnt know ANYTHING about fishkeeping so it all started when a person from school that I knew came with a cup. In the cup was a cute little goldfish. They all thought that it was as durable as a dog so they kept poking it. The poor thing didnt have any place to hide. The next day it died. Sad thing. If i had a tank back then I wouldve took it from him.

-Arrowhead

 

[guppymonkey]

I see the results of fair goldfish all the time at the pet store that I work at. Its one of the main reasons that people have such a bad misconception about the fishkeeping hobby, the other main reason is that most parents are really really lazy. I don't know how many parents I have told about the requirements that goldfish (or any other fish for that matter) need but then they just say "well its a cheap fish so who cares if it dies!" Of course this is the same answer they give if its a fish, hamster, rabbit, guinea pig or turtle too but those are for different forums.

This is another reason I think there should be an association of fishkeeping that regulates the hobby. You would never be able to get away with this kind of behavior with most other pets because they have activists that work for them. Fish (and most reptiles for that matter) are allowed to be abused.

 

[The-Wolf]

then they just say "well its a cheap fish so who cares if it dies!"

at that point I say I do, then refuse to sell them any fish and walk away to serve the next customer

 

[norbie]

i saw some at a fair earlier in the year, they were giving them away to kids who looked younger than 16.

they were swinging them around casually, and you know that later theyre either going to be dumped somewhere in the road, or down a toilet

 

[Inchworm]

I think that we, as a society, are in bad shape when dollar value means more than the idea that a creature has life itself. If we teach children that life is anything other than precious, no matter what living thing is being referred to, that thought will carry over to other animals and to people too. Is this what we really want?

Many a fishkeeper has started out with a free fish and by treasuring it and making it a beloved pet, has learned to keep a good, healthy tank. This can the beginning of a lifelong hobby and the development of interest in many aspects of science. Any parent who denies this opportunity to a youngster, IMHO, is a fool!