French Pet Care Firm Stops Selling Fish Bowls, Says They Drive Fish Crazy And Kills Them Quickly

The leading French aquarium vendor has said they no longer sell fish bowls and any aquarium with a capacity of less than 15 litres. The firm will now sell only rectangular aquariums.

Representational image of a fish bowl | Photo: Getty

New Delhi: Animal experts have long said fish bowls do not provide a healthy environment to fish as they restrict oxygen levels and lack proper filtration. A leading French pet care firm has now decided to stop selling those spherical fish bowls.  

Aquarium vendor AgroBiothers Laboratoire has said it won’t sell fish bowls any more because they drive fish mad and this “kills them quickly”, news agency Reuters reported.

The pet care market leader also said they will no longer sell any aquariums that have a capacity of less than 15 litres. It will now sell only rectangular aquariums.

"People buy a goldfish for their kids on impulse, but if they knew what a torture it is, they would not do it. Turning round and round in a small bowl drives fish crazy and kills them quickly," AgroBiothers CEO Matthieu Lambeaux was quoted as saying.

People are mostly seen keeping goldfish in such round bowls. 

Lambeaux said goldfish, if kept in big aquariums or outdoor ponds, can live up to 30 years and grow to about 25 cm, but often die within weeks or months in tiny bowls.

He said goldfish need clean water, the company of other fish, and ample space.

In many European countries, fish bowls were banned long ago, but France does not have any legislation on the issue yet, the report said.

"We cannot educate all our customers to explain that keeping fish in a bowl is cruel. We consider that it is our responsibility to no longer give consumers that choice," Lambeaux told Reuters.