I read and liked your paper.
One area you have to be aware of is this type subject will be difficult to defend (though easy in this group). On one hand it is pretty easy to note that bettas in a small plastic cup is not fair to the animal, but even in a 50 gallon tank is the betta living up to its potential? it does not get the same variety of foods, it has no challenges, it cannot pick its mate (usually) etc. Keeping animals in general often degrades the animals life experiences, but on the other hand might provide a life to an animal that would otherwise not exist. There is a continuum of care for the animals between ideal care and horrible cruel treatment, what is acceptable is not really based in science. Nature isn't all the nice either, some animals live in environments where life really isn't that pleasant simply because they are outcompeted in better environments. In the natural environment you could expect that a number of bettas will dry up and die each year, so most wild bettas will be exposed to poor water sometime in their lives.
The point I am trying to make is that one can always compare to care that is either better or worse whether we are talking about bettas living in cups or in big tanks. I view it as a reflection on my personal character how I treat my fish, but others treat them more like a commodity. I care for my fish but I also like to eat chickens, beef, and even fish. I personally struggle with what is right in regards to animal treatment, why is it ok to treat some animals differently than others?
Just exposing a different point of view. Your paper is much better than anything I would have been able to write at 14. I wish you good luck with it.
Where? (seriously I must know
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