Here’s our regular reminder that OATA does not support the practice of giving live fish as prizes at places like fairs & fairgrounds. Bringing home any pet should be planned, fish in particular, so people should always say no if offered live fish as a prize.
Read our full statement below and check out the other guidance we have about practices that our industry should not support.
Fish as prizes
We do not support the use of fish such as goldfish as prizes at places like fairs. Local retailers have, in some cases, been inundated by members of the public wishing to know what should be done with the fish they have won. Fish are living creatures and so anyone who wants to take on the responsibility of a pet should do so after careful consideration and research before the animal comes home. They should not be an impulse acquisition. It is our view that any business offering fish to the public, whether a pet shop, garden centre or fairground, should meet the conditions laid out in the Licensing of Activities Involving Animals regulations for England, Scotland or Wales. We do not believe these conditions can be achieved in a fairground situation and that the conditions under which they are kept and displayed is cruel.
