In Jakarta, a place called Fish.inc offers an indoor fishing experience, in an air-conditioned environment designed for the family. The idea is presented as safe, relaxing fun: no heat, no rain, just the chance to fish in a clean, welcoming space. Visitors can try fishing for the first time or have fun with friends and family, with the promise of exchanging fish caught for gifts based on weight.
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However, behind this apparently playful image lies an extremely painful practice for animals. The fish are confined to small internal tanks and are caught by hook. This causes sharp pain in their mouth, while pulling them out of the water causes their gills to collapse and cause difficulty breathing. Even subsequent release into the water does not reduce the trauma: the fish are often caught again, repeating the cycle of suffering.
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Scientific studies show that fish subjected to catch and release experience significant stress and psychological trauma. Physical pain is only part of the problem: the experience causes agitation, shock and anxious behavior, compromising the animals’ long-term health. Although the activity is presented as harmless play, the biological and psychological cost to the fish is high.
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An unsustainable entertainment model
Fish.inc’s practice raises important ethical questions. Sold as an educational and recreational experience, it actually involves systematic animal abuse. Animals have no choice or refuge: they are exploited to entertain visitors, transforming a living being into a temporary object of entertainment.
Experiences like that of Fish.inc highlight the need for stricter regulations on live animal attractions, especially when human enjoyment involves physical and psychological suffering for sentient beings. Human entertainment cannot and must not override the dignity and health of animals.
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