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A makeshift community aquarium next to a fire hydrant in Brooklyn, that went viral online and prompted concerned residents to attempt a “goldfish heist,” has now drawn the ire of animal rights organizations who say the fish must be liberated immediately.
Since its creation several weeks ago, the project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood has attracted dozens of visitors from across New York City and farther afield. The small puddle containing the fish now features a sign asking onlookers to be respectful and reminding them that they are being watched by a security guard, sitting by some nearby railings.
Hajj-Malik Lovick, 47, a lifelong resident of the area says the project was meant to bring “conversation” and joy to the community. “It’s all for the kids,” he told The Independent. “And it helps the parents too. If their mom says ‘We’re gonna go see the fish,’ that’s why they get up to go to school.”
But animal rights charity PETA has said that the attraction is “inhumane” and sets a bad example for children. “There are so many better ways to beautify your neighborhood that don’t involve harming helpless animals,” said Kristin Rickman, PETA’s Emergency Response Team Director.
The group says it is working with local animal rights organizations to remove the fish from the puddle as soon as possible. “It’s inhumane, these fish need to be rescued and placed in homes that can accommodate them,” Rickman told The Independent.
Lovick and a friend came up with the idea for the aquarium while sitting by the leaking fire hydrant. “We started joking about what if we added fish,” he told The Associated Press. “Since the water is always there sitting in the puddle, why not turn this into something that’s more interesting?”
With help from Lovick’s uncle, the pair fortified the edges of the tree bed with rocks and brick, then bought 100 common goldfish from a pet store for $16 and put them in the puddle. However, despite the positive response from many community members, some were less enthused.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, two neighborhood residents, Emily Campbell and Max David, attempted a rescue mission, using nets and plastic bags to extract about 30 fish from the two-inch deep water.
Campbell later said she was aware of the “optics” of her actions as a young white person in the historically Black neighborhood, but said that they were driven by genuine concern for the fish. Her sentiments are shared by Rickman.
“There are so many problems with this kind of situation,” Rickman said. “First of all, goldfish are unique individuals. They have complex needs and these needs usually aren’t met even inside someone’s home. Meeting those needs in a puddle caused by a leaky fire hydrant is just impossible.”
Though acknowledging that the aquarium was not started as an intentionally cruel project, Rickman dismissed its justification as being community-orientated. “That doesn’t make it ok,” she told The Independent.
“A fish is a fish. Just because they’re smaller and don’t cost as much doesn’t mean that they can’t suffer just as equally as a larger fish... They are sentient beings and want to live.”
Rickman would not specify PETA’s intended course of action but said that the priority was getting the fish out of the puddle and helping community members understand the animal welfare issues surrounding the project.
“A lot of people don’t consider fish to be able to experience pain or be significant at all,” she said. “We need to set an example for our children of kindness, compassion and responsible animal guardianship.”
On Monday, video circulated on social media of firefighters appearing to clear the puddle, though The Independent has been unable to verify the footage.
