this made me furious

[Sea Squirt]

I was in Paris last week strolling down the Champs Elysees when I saw something that made my heart stop.

2 chevron barracuda imprisoned in a tiny aquarium in the window of Club Med's office. Getting closer to see if they were real or not, to my horror I saw not only these barracuda but also miserable looking trigger fish (red tooths, Picassos, juvenile Titans), coral beaked fish, latticed butterfly fish - the list just goes on. They could have been the same fish I'd been seeing only a couple of months ago in the Similans. There were 3 aquariums in all, drawing a large crowd of onlookers - I was spitting with rage.

We've been made well aware of the risks of marine fish marketing - you have to ask how many triggerfish died to get those two all the way from their native reef to central Paris. I have considered the possibility that they were commercially farmed, although being this far from the tropics I don't see how this could be viable. IN any case, the huge throng of kids gazing in awe would not know this. What message is Club Med teaching them? That it's okay to remove marine life from it's natural environment? Or yes, go diving on your club med holiday, but if you want to see any sea life, better go and check it out in the Champs Elysees!

I may be causing a storm in a teacup, but it was really, really distressing to see, in this day where the message surely should be respect of the ocean environment, not its destruction...

MAD, MAD, MAD

 

[MNScuba]

I can understand your frustrations. I hate to use the phrase, but I guess it fits in here... "It could be worse." I've seen some pretty pathetic displays over the years, but there are no rules or laws against it so what can you do I guess. On the bright side... I suppose it makes people more aware of the beauty that lies beneath, just a thought.

 

[Zept]

In Singapore the tanks would be full of coral grouper and you'd be able to go in and eat them. I don't know whether that's better or worse. I eat fish, so I've no business feeling squeamish about it... but I do.

Z

 

[landlocked]

Stopped by a different dive shop the other day. They had a moray in an aquarium. The sad thing is that the eel was touching on both ends of the aquarium. I don't really object to having things in captivity, but there should be enough room that the poor thing could get a bit of a swim now and then.

 

[sharpenu]

Just like Sea World and Discovery Cove. I used to not have a problem with them until I worked there on my days off part time. Those tanks are not large enough for the animals. I even heard one of the employees there tell me that sea life interactions like the dolphin one in the bahamas, the shark interactions and the like were wrong. I believe the people they have working there really care about the animals, even if they don't see the hypocracy. But the companies only care about one thing, and it is spelled M-O-N-E-Y.

 

[kwesler]

Most of you are not being what many people would call "reasonable"...have you ever noticed that change is never created by "reasonable" people?

If we don't fight these fights...who will?

 

[ScubaScott]

Originally posted by kwesler
Most of you are not being what many people would call "reasonable"...have you ever noticed that change is never created by "reasonable" people?

If we don't fight these fights...who will?

Good point kwesler.......

 

[Natasha]

I sure don't want to get into a fight here. But I'm not sure how this is any different then seeing White Tigers, Pandas, or Kualas in a zoo.
I personally hate to go to the zoo for this exact reason. Seeing these beautiful creatures caged up, in space much smaller then they deserve, breaks my heart. But how do we close down a zoo?
The only think I can guess they are thinking when they build these places, is that is brings public awareness. This is especially useful for indangered species. But then the sea life you mentioned are not.
Very sad.

 

[kwesler]

I think what we have seen become prevalent as far as zoos go is a "habitat" style, rather than the old cages. All the major zoos that I am aware of have changed, are changing, or are planning to change to an environment that offers the animals some semblance of a normal life. I do not object to fish in tanks; I object to fish being mistreated in tanks. I am a meat eater, leather wearer etc., an have no qualms about being (more or less) at the top of the food change. I do think, however, that the position carries some responsibility as well as privilege.

Spear fish all you want as long as you eat your catch...and tank fish all you want as long as you understand and meet their needs.

 

[landlocked]

Originally posted by kwesler
I think what we have seen become prevalent as far as zoos go is a "habitat" style, rather than the old cages. All the major zoos that I am aware of have changed, are changing, or are planning to change to an environment that offers the animals some semblance of a normal life. I do not object to fish in tanks; I object to fish being mistreated in tanks. I am a meat eater, leather wearer etc., an have no qualms about being (more or less) at the top of the food change. I do think, however, that the position carries some responsibility as well as privilege.

Spear fish all you want as long as you eat your catch...and tank fish all you want as long as you understand and meet their needs.

ditto