Betta fish are widely sold in Alberta pet stores in small plastic cups with no heat, filtration, or space to swim. These conditions do not meet basic animal welfare standards. Betta fish are sentient and require warm, clean, and enriched environments to thrive.

When confined to tiny, stagnant cups:

• They are exposed to ammonia buildup from waste
• Their immune systems weaken due to chronic stress
• They suffer fin rot, colour loss, and often die prematurely

This is not a matter of preference — it’s a preventable welfare issue.

We’re calling on Alberta municipalities and the provincial government to adopt humane standards for the retail sale of Betta fish:

✅ Ban the sale of Betta fish in containers under 1 gallon

✅ Require heat and filtration in all display tanks

✅ Provide enrichment such as a silk leaf plant or java fern 

Retail cup practices contribute to mass suffering and normalize poor care standards. Many consumers are unaware of a Betta’s real needs because the conditions they’re sold in suggest otherwise. Ending this practice would raise the standard across the industry and educate new fish owners from the start.

Betta fish are not disposable. They’re living, feeling animals — and they deserve better.

Sign this petition to demand change and see to it that no more Betta fish are left to die from this inhumane and unethical retail practice. Let Alberta lead the way in updating aquatic animal welfare policies — and show that no species is too small for compassion.

This petition is led by Betta4Betta, a grassroots Alberta-based Betta fish rescue and advocacy project dedicated to raising awareness, rescuing mistreated Bettas, and pushing for higher care standards in retail.

Follow us @betta4betta for education, adoptions, and ways to get involved.