Like someone said a few posts ago - LFS's are in the market to make money - just like any other business... To make a broad statement as to boycott them is kinda pointless and a little self-righteous. Plus it doesn't account for are we talking about 1) dyed fish (via injection or dipping) 2) genetically modified fish (those glo-danios) or 3) the result of just plain cruel results from breeding (star-gazer goldfish). It can be argued that category 3 is just as bad as 1, it not worse - so why are we not boycotting those... Maybe the "mutation" process is not as immediately painful but a painted tetra is a whole lot more functional than those goldfish... As for shortened life expectancy - I am willing to guess that painted vs non-painted tetras life as longer than the same ratio in star-gazer vs comet (or whatever a base-goldfish is).
A lot of LFS have half-decent service and pretty decent prices - to ignore their whole stock just because of a few tanks they have that cater to idiots is kinda unfair. If you're so upset about it, start harassing the government - it doesn't seem like there is a powerful painted-fish-importer lobby-group - so if there's a good chance you can stop the import plain and simple. Most people who buy these fish aren't going out and spending serious time to find a painted fish (unlike some people i've known who've driven a 400km round trip to get certain cichlids and oddballs) - if they don't see the painted fish, they will not think "oh cute, let's get it" and that will dry the market up...
Just my two cents on the matter...
A lot of LFS have half-decent service and pretty decent prices - to ignore their whole stock just because of a few tanks they have that cater to idiots is kinda unfair. If you're so upset about it, start harassing the government - it doesn't seem like there is a powerful painted-fish-importer lobby-group - so if there's a good chance you can stop the import plain and simple. Most people who buy these fish aren't going out and spending serious time to find a painted fish (unlike some people i've known who've driven a 400km round trip to get certain cichlids and oddballs) - if they don't see the painted fish, they will not think "oh cute, let's get it" and that will dry the market up...
Just my two cents on the matter...