Genetically modified glowing fish have taken the pet industry by storm, comprising 10 percent of aquarium sales. But these fishes' genetics have been commodified, turned into a gimmick to fuel sales for a cruel, exploitative industry. Learn more and take action today.
A couple years ago I stumbled upon the GloFish® website–yes, trademark and all–and I was floored by the words: “GloFish® fluorescent fish are born brilliant! They are not painted, injected or dyed. They inherit their harmless, lifelong color from their parents. They get their stunning color from a fluorescence gene and are best viewed under a blue light.”
The goal of this genetic manipulation: Make freshwater fish prettier, more enticing, more consumable. Like a vacuum, a new car, or a frozen burrito, these fish needed to be branded.
The aquarium industry has turned these fishes’ genetics into a commodity that it markets to us as an innovative way to spruce up our home decor. After all, like any industry, it has to churn out fresh products to keep us interested. And, so far, it’s worked: There are over 9 million fish sold by this multi-billion-dollar industry living in American homes, from an endless array of Betta fish varieties to the dainty angelfish and the goldfish brought home after a carnival game victory.
Many of these fish live in tiny enclosures with little enrichment, deprived of everything natural to them. And marketing campaigns like GloFish only further reinforce fishes' status as trinkets, not living beings, in American homes.
They tell us: Fish are decorations, trinkets, objects. We don’t maximize their space for their well-being; we minimize it for our convenience. We don’t have to settle for dull fish when we can have spectacularly striking GloFish.
It’s time to embrace fish for who, not what, they are. And we can start by letting them keep their natural colors.