Calling all animal lovers!! The feeder fish of the United States need us!

I know this is a highly controversial topic but I will express my opinion on this issue. The abuse and mistreatment these fish receive is just saddening, and because of my love for  fish, I have decided to create this petition. I had created a YouTube channel called “The Feeder Fish Rescuer” and have tried spreading awareness via YouTube but it’s not too effective, so I’m here at change.org.

Feeder fish are usually baby fish, sold for merely a few cents. They are bred solely for the purpose of being used as live food for other animals. These fish don’t get the chance to live a long, happy life. They are treated horrible at most pet stores. They are not viewed as equal living beings. Most feeder fish are sold to be fed to other animals or to be used as injured bait for the sport of fishing. Many others buy the fish for their cheap price and then just abuse them. I view the practice of feeding feeder fish to pets and other captive animals as cruel and unnecessary. 

In my personal fishkeeping experience of about ten years, I have kept many species of predatory fish. I have never fed feeder fish to any of them, not even deformed baby guppies or fish that died of old age or something. I’ve had cichlids, a flowerhorn, an arrowana, and green sunfish, all of which lived solely on fish flakes, granules, and other dry foods. I have been hating the practice of feeder fish since I was about 6 or 7 years old. As a child I’ve hated the fact of one animal having to die for another. And yes I know you must be thinking, “well, that’s the natural food chain.” But the practice of using feeder fish is captive animal based.  There is pretty much absolutely no reason to feed some live baby goldfish to your pet piranha. 

Feeder fish not only live a short life, but they live an extremely miserable life. Crowded in tanks that are often dirty, disease-ridden, or full of dying fish, these fish have earned the name that they “only live a week”. That’s because of all the starvation and disease, along with internal parasites and such, they often don’t live much longer. Usually baby fish, they are extremely prone to dying easily. The feeder fish are treated like garbage, and bought in large quantities. They aren’t given the right to be happy. They live such short lives only to be killed and eaten.

Feeder fish are also risky to use as they are usually sick and will infect the predator if eaten. Also, misconceptions by beginner fish keepers lead them to improperly care for them, resulting in the fish dying much sooner then they could’ve lived.

Info courtesy from Wikipedia on disadvantages of feeder fish:

“Some species used as feeder fish (goldfish and rosy red minnows) contain high quantities of thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1 and when fed in large quantities causes nutritional imbalances. When bred and held in an overcrowded or otherwise sub-optimal environment, they may also carry bacterial infections and parasites, which can be passed along to fish that eat them. A major disadvantage of using feeder fish, particularly goldfish, is that they do not actually simulate what tropical fish eat in the wild.”

Feeder fish are also used as fishing bait, where they are painfully stabbed through a hook, while still alive, and thrown into water to be eaten by another fish. Secondly, the fact that feeder fish are so cheap makes it easy for carnivals and fairs to access them, buy them in large quantities and use them as prizes. People abuse feeder fish a lot, swallowing live fish, frying them alive in a pan, used in science experiments, doing unspeakably horrible things. It makes me so upset that people do not value other living beings. Most people forget that even a single feeder fish is an animal too, deserving of living rights, and that it has feelings and needs.

Using live food to feed your pet is not only risky and cruel to the fish, but unnecessary in most cases. Some people claim using feeder fish is beneficial for their pet and it is natural for even captive predators to chase and kill prey. I disagree. Animals don’t only need live food to survive. Also, people feed feeder fish to their pets that really don’t need it. Captive animals who have been captive their whole life definitely do not need only feeder fish to live. Even pets that have been caught from the wild don’t eat feeder fish every day. They can eat other things as well. 

In the wild, predator versus prey have equal rights of survival. There is nothing “natural” with using feeder fish, as they are enclosed in a small space and have only the option to be eaten, with extremely little chance of surviving. The predator doesn’t have an option either, as it is being given feeder fish to eat, and it has to eat them to survive.

It is extremely upsetting to me the number of feeder fish related YouTube videos people have posted on there to entertain others, many of which involve cruel science projects using feeder fish, animals ripping apart feeder fish, swallowing them live, or using them in horrid ways to entertain. Some of these videos are just plain stupid. The sad part is that apart from the feeder fish, so many other animals get abused too, and displayed on YouTube for others to see.

This is my opinion on feeder fish. I could go on forever and talk for hours about this. I hope that you will help me achieve my goal, to end feeding live feeder fish to captive animals and pets. It would be great if you could support me  and sign this petition!!