Aquarium Cafe - Photos

I visited the site yesterday and took photographs documenting the conditions in which the fish are being kept. The photographs include both fish being held for sale and larger fish that appear to be kept as part of the café's entertainment or décor.

While it could be argued that the fish offered for sale are being housed in these conditions temporarily, this does not explain or justify the conditions of the larger fish kept permanently within the café. Unless the café changes its practices or intervention occurs, these fish appear likely to remain in these tanks indefinitely.

I observed fish being kept in tanks that appear extremely small relative to their size. One tank is positioned facing the street and provides the fish with no apparent place to retreat or hide from constant exposure. It has no gravel or other substrate and provides an extremely barren environment.

Many of the other tanks similarly have little or no substrate or environmental enrichment that would allow the fish to engage in normal behaviours. Although some tanks now appear to contain limited hiding places, these additions remain inadequate given the size of the fish, the size and layout of the tanks, and the overall lack of environmental complexity.

My concern is therefore not limited to the temporary housing of fish awaiting sale. It also relates to the ongoing conditions in which fish are being maintained as part of the café itself. The photographs document the conditions I personally observed during my visit and, in my view, raise serious concerns about whether the animals' physical, behavioural, and environmental needs are being adequately met.