Supermarket Chain Stops Sale of Live Carp

In the Czech Republic, it is a firm tradition to eat carp at Christmas. It is still common to transport the fish alive from the pond to the sales points. The carp are only killed and gutted at the point of sale. It was even once common to bring the carp home alive in a plastic bag and let it swim in the bathtub until it was slaughtered shortly before Christmas. This custom dates back to the time of socialism, when few households had a refrigerator.

Animal rights activists warn of torture through the sale of live carp

Animal rights activists have long been protesting against the sales stands with live fish. They argue that the aquatic creatures suffer severe stress in the confinement of the tubs and get too little oxygen. Fish, like all other vertebrates, feel pain and fear. With the campaign "A Christmas without Violence", animal rights activists try every year to draw attention to the problem. In addition, the city administration of Prague has now launched its own awareness campaign. In it, the residents of the capital learn that the animals should not be put in a bathtub with tap water, as this is chlorinated in Prague. The fish should also not be released into the wild, although this is sometimes well-intentioned. In the unfamiliar river environment of the Vltava, the already weakened animals usually die and their suffering is only prolonged, it was said.

(APA/Red)

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