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Article: Think tank: fishkeeping is one of the world's most popular pursuits: in the UK alone, as many as 3.5 million households have an aquarium or a garden pond, with the number of ornamental fish kept as pets dwarfing that of other animals. But how does the demand for ever more exotic species affect the fish in the wild? And can the aquarist's hobby ever be ethical? Victoria Lambert finds out.
- Article from:
- Geographical
- Article date:
- October 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Circle Publishing Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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There's a bittersweet moment in the animated children's film Finding Nemo, when a group of tropical marine fish in a dentist's waiting-room tank discuss where they come from. Instead of referring to the world's oceans, they list their previous homes as Bob's Fish Mart, Pet Palace, Fish-O-Rama, mail order, and even eBay, with a nonchalance that only becomes upset when Nemo the common clownfish admits he comes from the ocean. This statement is greeted with horror as the other fish fear he is unclean from the experience.
Ironically, for anyone who wants to keep tropical fish as pets, getting a fish directly from the ocean is about as ...