Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is appalled by the huge number of fish in two standard-sized aquariums at a supermarket in Gelugor, Penang.

The fibre glass aquariums are placed on top of two larger tanks below, with lesser numbers of fish. However, what caught SAM’s attention is the severe overcrowding of fish in the aquariums above.

There was hardly enough room for movement and the fish could only be seen in a gliding motion up and down the aquariums, to avoid knocking into one another within the two 24-inch in length by 15-inch in height aquariums.

Just how long will the fish be expected to stay in such compressed state is anybody’s guess. Will they be in this condition until a customer comes along to have the fish killed for consumption?

Unlike any other living animals and birds that yelp, squeak, tweet or chirp, fish produce no sound, so they are being taken for granted. In fact, fish are living, feeling creatures capable of feeling pain and they suffer in the same manner as any other living creature.

They are often maintained in inadequate conditions, where they are kept in great numbers in one tank, or the addition of more fish into an aquarium, killing many of them. This is definitely an issue of concern to animal welfare groups.

Cloudy, murky water

There is inadequate swimming space in the aquairum containing the ‘ikan keli’, and there is the question of whether they are being fed proper food, the quality of their water and so on. Water in all tanks are cloudy and murky.

Just like any other fish catfish are real fish, with real needs, that must be considered. They count as much as any other aquarium fish.

Pictures forwarded to SAM reveal a number of the fish swimming on their sides at the bottom of the tank, or struggling to swim, for which the most likely cause is swim bladder damage or disease.

According to Robert Boumis from Pets, Demand Media, when fish like catfish get a damaged swim bladder, they will typically swim at odd angles, or struggle to swim at all.

A variety of problems, including infection, injuries from fighting and poor water quality, can damage the swim bladder. The root causes of the problem have to be rooted out.

The supermarket must ensure that the fish in its aquariums in Gelugor are in a healthy environment by especially maintaining the cleanliness and ensure high water quality in the tank, besides reducing the number of fish in the overcrowded aquariums.

The supermarket is sending out the wrong message to its customers that it is all right to keep large numbers of fish and overcrowd aquariums. This will lead to ignorant people buying a fish tank and stocking it up with large varieties of ornamental fish or marine fish, leading to stress and other problems.

A sign placed on the wall at the supermarket questions the goodness of fish, with the reply given below: “Fish is a natural source of protein and Omega-3, which is important for health.”

Eating fish is not the only source of boosting one’s health. There are better sources of cardio-friendly Omega-3 fatty acids, including walnuts, flaxseed oil, spinach and soyabean, as well as vegetarian supplements made from microalgae - which is where fish get Omega-3 in the first place.

It is high time for the supermarket, and everybody, to acknowledge that fish are not swimming vegetables. They can suffer and feel pain as all animals do, and their welfare deserves our attention and consideration, regardless of whether they are ornamental fish or fish for human consumption.

SM MOHAMED IDRIS is president of environmental NGO Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).