Aquatic Animals

Aquarium Fish Welfare Standards

Home aquariums keep hundreds of millions of fish in conditions that often fail to meet even basic behavioral needs.

Key Facts

Over 600 million freshwater fish are sold as pets annually
Most aquarium fish are wild-caught, not captive-bred
Cyanide is used illegally to stun coral reef fish for collection
Fish have complex cognitive abilities and social relationships
Inadequate water quality causes chronic stress and disease

Welfare Considerations

Aquarium fish commonly suffer from tanks too small for their behavioral needs, inappropriate social groupings, inadequate filtration causing ammonia toxicity, and incompatible species combinations leading to predation and stress. Wild-caught marine fish, particularly those caught with cyanide, suffer organ damage and have high post-capture mortality rates.

What You Can Do

Choose captive-bred fish rather than wild-caught when possible
Provide appropriately sized tanks with proper filtration
Research species compatibility before mixing fish
Avoid purchasing fish from stores using wild-caught marine species caught with cyanide