Spotlight on tethering of live fish

#Act4
Aquatics

Spotlight on tethering of live fish

19 August 2019
News
Animal welfare groups highlight practice that forces a fish’s gills open and prolongs its suffocation to keep it fresh for longer

Campaigners in Taiwan are calling for an end to the centuries-old practice of fish tethering – which sees live fish tied into a crescent shape to entice buyers – claiming the custom “is a form of torture” and contravenes animal welfare standards.

Fish tethering is popular in Taiwan, where it is believed that “bow fish” stay fresher for longer if they are bent into a curve and sprinkled with water to keep them alive. They remain this way until they are purchased, which can be up to 10 hours after they were caught, say activists.

“In Chinese communities, fish are typically not considered to be fresh if they have been dead for a long period of time,” said Wu Hung of the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (East).