DEFRA

[BigC]

As a member of various aquarist societies and associations over the years I loved going to open fish shows throughout Great Britain and as part of the fish show there would be the obligatory auction where breeders could sell their excess stock, tank builders could sell aquariums and show tanks and there was a killing to be made selling second hand equipment. All made for a cracking day out, meeting friends old and new. Now that said what do the forum think after reading the folowing link.
http/www.killifish.f9.co.uk/Killifish/Ki...bsite/DEFRA.htm
Do you think the Department for Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs are going too far or do you think that they are right.

 

[modernhamlet]

Sorry to hear about it, BigC. That's ridiculous if you ask me...

And I thought local government was nosey over here in the States.

 

[ChrisCook]

Personally I don't see any problem with it. I don't believe that live animals should be sold outside the normal environment (pet shop etc).

Where do you draw the line? Allow market traders to sell budgies? Should we still be allowing gypsies at fairs to have goldfish as prizes?

How about regulating the people selling? The stress caused to the animals during travel - the conditions they are in?

 

[Jules H-T]

The sale of ALL live animals should be licensed IMHO.

It is only through control and legislation that humane conditions can be guaranteed.

I don't know what anyone else thought, but those photos of rows and rows of fish on tables are little better than goldfish hanging in the sun at a fairground.

 

[ChrisCook]

I don't know what anyone else thought, but those photos of rows and rows of fish on tables are little better than goldfish hanging in the sun at a fairground.

[snapback]861658[/snapback]​

Amen to that point of view.


I have hobbies that are not exactly "fish friendly" but I do my best to cause the least amount of suffering possible to them when I do what I have to do.

Chris

 

[modernhamlet]

Personally I don't see any problem with it. I don't believe that live animals should be sold outside the normal environment (pet shop etc).

Where do you draw the line? Allow market traders to sell budgies? Should we still be allowing gypsies at fairs to have goldfish as prizes?

How about regulating the people selling? The stress caused to the animals during travel - the conditions they are in?

[snapback]861650[/snapback]​

Thinking twice about it, I totally understand your point. But I still disagree.
Call me cynical, but I really doubt this is about fish health...

I think you'd have a better point if the quality and conditions of the fish at these fish shows wasn't (in general) far superior to that of most (licensed) fish stores. Given the conditions you see at the average Pets@Home, maybe the local councils should pay a little more attention to the actual licensing process instead of just rubberstamping applications for anyone that can afford to throw money into the coffers.

 

[Peter Lovett]

I have to agree modernhamlet with his points.

Something that most people do not realise is that it is illegal for any person to sell a fish without a licence. Even a gold fish.

Most auctions are run by enthusiasts so most of the fish you find there you will just not find in the shops.

I would just have to say go to an auction and see what goes on before you condemn it.

 

[fatguppy]

This perhaps is targeting the wrong people. One of our lfs (a garden centre) keeps tropical fish in appalling conditions which apparently the RSPA can do anything about because UK laws do not cover the keeping of fish sufficiently well. Any visits by the local authority are apparently warned about in advance.

We have voted with our feet and refuse to buy fish there anymore - but I guess that we are in a minority.

We went in a couple of weeks ago to buy some floating plants (sadly they are the only lfs to seel them) and they had a 8" puffer fish in a 2 ft tank. Apparently two weeks later it was dead - it certainly didn't look too bright when we saw it.

As far as theya re concerned fish are a cheap a disposable commodity.

 

[UBigBobby]

another example of "righteous" buerocrats sticking their noses into an area that they have no real understanding of.

It's a british issue though. Being a Yankee..I won't make any other comment on it.

 

[andywg]

I'm all for the clamp down. I'm not a fan of taking fish to shows, and the sale of animals in public places is forbidden. The person who wrote the article you linked to forgets that livestock auctions (a la pigs, sheep and cows) are held on private property for the most part, not public.

I believe there should be control on the sale of fish, and the first step would be to stamp out on unauthorised sales follwed by a crackdown on licensed authorised sales. There would be no point having a mass crackdown on the lfs when worse conditions exist at a fair.

 

[daza]

I must admit that I don't like the look of all those bags, or the thought of the fish being in them all day including travelling to/from the auction. But I have never been to one and I imagine that, being enthusiasts, the fish are probably still well cared for.

There should definitely be "the opportunity to discuss rules...with those imposing restrictions." Like others have said; some shops are so bad, so who has the right to condemn this?

One of the reasons I like this hobby and this forum is because they are very non-political. One of the few ways to escape it.

Just shows that you can't get away from Tony Bliar and his Nu-Labour muppets sticking their noses into every aspect of our lives with their socialist ********.