OATA has responded to comments made in a recent Fish Health Report by the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, calling them unjustified and showing a lack of proper research into the way live ornamental fish are transported.

The recent report, which mainly focuses on food fish, makes passing reference to the welfare of ornamental fish in transport, stating: ‘for ornamental fish, import and transport cause serious harm as they are deprived of food and oxygen while being stored and handled roughly in small plastic containers for days at a time.’

“These remarks are unjustified, ill-judged and show a surprising lack of research from this well-respected organisation,” said OATA Chief Executive Dominic Whitmee.

OATA has written to the Foundation to explain the rules governing the transport of live fish for the home aquarium industry, which are set out by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in its Container Requirements guidance.

More than 80% of the live fish for home aquariums arrive in the UK by air so businesses must comply with IATA regulations otherwise airlines would not accept the consignments. The container requirements for aquatic animals include:

  • Fish must be packed in plastic bags containing a minimum of ¼ water and the remaining space filled with oxygen. The fish must be fully immersed and able to swim freely, with bags then placed within an outer fully rigid container which cannot accidentally open.
  • Boxes must be labelled in a certain way.
  • Fish must be fasted for a few days prior to shipment in order to reduce excreta and subsequent ammonia formation.
  • Shippers must pack fish to survive unattended for at least 48 hours from time of acceptance by the airline.

“A modicum of research would reveal that the remarks made about ornamental fish are simply unjustified. Companies must comply with IATA requirements which have been developed by experts through a rigorous process to ensure the transportation of live animals does not create welfare issues,” added Dominic.

“We would be most concerned if CAWC was calling for fish to be fed before travel because this would have a detrimental effect on water quality and therefore the welfare of the fish in transport.

“Our industry relies on the provision of live, healthy animals so it is a priority, and indeed financially prudent, for our members to keep the fish they trade in healthy and as stress-free as possible at every stage of their journey. We hope that CAWC revises this element of its report and we are always happy to talk to organisations to help them understand the facts.”

Below is the response that OATA has sent to CAWF.

Dear Sirs

We have read your report into fish welfare, particularly the remarks made about ornamental fish which is the sector we represent: “For ornamental fish, import and transport cause serious harm as they are deprived of food and oxygen while being stored and handled roughly in small plastic containers for days at a time.”

We would like to point that that live fish transported by our industry mostly come into the UK by air and therefore must travel to International Air Transport Association (IATA) general container requirement standards. Perhaps you are unaware of these requirements which dictate the way fish are transported. 80% of live fish for our industry arrive through Heathrow, which reports less than 1% of mortalities of ornamental fish on arrival.

Below are highlights from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) packing requirements for aquatic animals. If fish are not packed in this way then the consignments would be rejected by the airline.

  • Most of the aquatic species being shipped are small tropical fish. These are packed in plastic bags containing a minimum of ¼ water and the remaining space filled with oxygen. The fish must be fully immersed and able to swim freely. Variations to these ratios may be allowed if acceptable to the transporting airline(s). This bag is then placed within an outer container. The outer container must be rigid and not be able to buckle or bend. It must have all the sides and the top and bottom re-enforced so that it can withstand damage from other freight falling on it. It must be closed in such a manner that it cannot be accidentally opened.
  • Fish must be fasted for a few days prior to shipment in order to reduce excreta and subsequent ammonia formation.
  • Shippers must pack fish to survive unattended for at least 48 hours from time of acceptance by the airline.

IATA standards have been developed by experts through a rigorous process to ensure that the transportation of live animals does not create welfare issues. It is IATA that dictates that fish should not be fed so that they do not cause water quality issues and thus compromise welfare. Calls to feed fish before they travel are irresponsible because it would be detrimental to their welfare.

Once in the UK, fish will then travel to their next destination (in their IATA packaging) and are covered by the Welfare of Animals in Transport Regulation (WATO).

OATA also has its own Transport Code which covers how fish should be transported and unpacked once they reach their destination.

Our industry is reliant on the provision of live, healthy animals so it is a priority, and indeed financially prudent, for our members to keep the fish they trade in healthy and as stress-free as possible at every stage of their journey. We would be very happy to talk to you further about the concerns raised in this report about the transport of live fish for the home aquarium industry because we do not believe the concerns highlighted in this report are either justified or factual.