Animal welfare is receiving increasing attention as our understanding of animal sentience grows. However, there are still industries using animals that have yet to face close scrutiny. Such is the case with the ornamental fish trade, a business that involves close to 6,000 species and generates more than US$15 billion annually.

The fishes involved in the ornamental industry show strong indications of being sentient. They’re capable of experiencing pain, displaying behavioral changes in response to painful stimuli that go beyond simple reflexes. They use memory to make decisions and display complex social interactions. They also show forms of consciousness, such as the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror and make mental evaluations of their own size relative to others. For these reasons, it’s essential to understand the welfare risks associated with the ornamental fish trade and what stands in the way of addressing them.

In this review, the authors focus on identifying the stressors that ornamental fishes experience throughout the commercial chain, as well as the factors that hinder effective action toward improving their welfare.

Welfare Issues In The Ornamental Fish Trade

Ornamental fishes face multiple stressors from the moment they’re captured to the time they spend at their final destination in people’s homes or in public aquariums. One of the most significant is transport. Because this is an international industry, fishes may travel extremely long distances between facilities. Mechanical disturbances caused by water movement can increase their vulnerability to infections and further compromise their health.

Other key stressors include:

• Handling: Fishes are often removed from the water with nets that can damage their protective mucous layer and increase their susceptibility to disease.
• Stocking density: Overcrowding can elevate cortisol levels and promote aggressive behaviors, while densities that are too low are detrimental to the social stability of shoaling species.
• Water quality: Water quality issues are often worsened by high stocking densities and insufficient filtration systems, and can cause behavior changes and death.
• Species compatibility: Keeping incompatible species together can lead to aggression and even predation.
• Feeding practices: Fishes may experience both food deprivation and overfeeding at different stages of the trade, which can affect water quality, behavior, and health. Food size and feeding frequency are also welfare concerns.
• Environmental complexity: Captive conditions are often barren and monotonous compared to fishes’ natural habitats, and they may suffer in these environments for their whole lives.

The authors argue that it’s not possible to address these stressors without increasing scientific research on the species involved and strengthening legislation to protect them.

Challenges To Improving Ornamental Fish Welfare

One of the main challenges to improving ornamental fish welfare arises from the enormous variety of species traded. This makes it difficult to standardize care protocols and legal frameworks.

Furthermore, many of the existing guidelines and regulations are based on studies of species raised for human consumption, which can’t always be applied to the ornamental industry. For example, the operational welfare indicators used to assess welfare in production settings aren’t suitable for many ornamental species. A clear illustration of this limitation is blood cortisol measurement: due to the very small size of many ornamental fishes, obtaining blood samples for cortisol analysis simply isn’t feasible.

These challenges are exacerbated by society’s difficulty in recognizing fishes as sentient individuals, as well as by the very terminology commonly used in the sector — such as “ornamental” — which tends to objectify them. Additionally, the relatively low price of these animals, particularly freshwater species, contributes to the perception that they’re easily replaceable and lack intrinsic value.

Protecting Ornamental Fishes

At an international level, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora offers protection to a number of ornamental fish species — though from a conservation rather than a welfare perspective. And while the World Organization for Animal Health has produced a health code for aquatic animals, it doesn’t cover ornamental fishes.

Similar gaps exist at the national level. Some countries with significant export activity, such as Singapore and Brazil, have legislation governing the industry. However, it focuses on aspects such as disease prevention, licensing requirements, and safety and hygiene measures, neglecting to address the welfare of the animals themselves.

There are some notable exceptions, however. In the U.K., for example, the Animal Welfare Act recognizes fish sentience and the need to ensure fish welfare through appropriate environments that allow them to swim and behave naturally, good water and food quality, and the prevention of suffering. It also includes requirements for transport and handling.

Finally, several non-governmental initiatives have emerged to address the welfare of ornamental fishes. Some are localized and have limited visibility, while others are more established and work closely with scientific institutions and regulators. The Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association in the U.K., for instance, funds research and offers training and technical advice. Despite differences in scale and impact, taken together, these initiatives indicate a growing awareness of the issue.

Helping Ornamental Fishes Begins With Language

Fittingly, the authors end their review with a call to replace the term “ornamental fish” with “pet fish.” In their opinion, referring to fishes as “pets” would highlight their capacity to feel, their behavioral complexity, and their need for proper care, just like dogs and cats. In other words, emphasizing fishes’ role as companion animals, not mere decorations, would encourage a greater sense of responsibility toward them.