Handing out goldfish as fairground prizes has been banned after councillors agreed fish should not be distributed because they are 'challenging to look after'. Giving out live animals as prizes is still legal in England and Wales so long as a child is accompanied by an adult.
But there are already over 20 other local authorities across England that have introduced the goldfish ban in recent years, while the RSPCA has received 147 calls from members of the public concerned about fish being offered as prizes since 2015.
Councillors on London's Southwark Council have now joined the ban and also agreed to write to the UK government, urging it to introduce a blanket ban on giving out pets as trophies on public and private land, MyLondon reports.
Labour councillors Andy Simmons and Portia Mwangangye jointly brought the motion to ban the practice at a Southwark Council meeting on March 22. The motion read: “This council is concerned about the number of cases reported to the RSPCA each year, regarding pets given as prizes via fairgrounds, social media and other channels in England - and notes the issue predominantly concerns goldfish.
“[It] is concerned for the welfare of those animals that are being given as prizes [and] recognises that many cases of pets being given as prizes may go unreported each year. [It] supports a move to ban the giving of live animals as prizes, in any form, in Southwark.
“The council agrees to ban outright the giving of live animals as prizes, in any form, on Southwark land [and to] write to the UK Government, urging an outright ban on the giving of live animals as prizes on both public and private land.”
Goldfish kept for long periods in plastic bags, like those used at fairgrounds, suffer from stress and shock, according to the RSPCA. Many die from oxygen starvation or a sudden change in water temperature before making it home, the animal charity says.
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Lee Gingell, from the RSPCA, said: “Animal ownership is a big responsibility - and while goldfish can make great companions, they shouldn't be acquired via a spur-of-the-moment game.
“[They] can actually be challenging to look after and new owners must do their research before they acquire the fish, not afterwards. When bringing a fish home for the first time, it's important to set the tank up at least two weeks in advance to make sure it's all running smoothly, and this just isn't possible for someone who's won a fish without being prepared for it.”
Cllr Simmons said: "It’s not appropriate in this day and age to give pets away as prizes, so I was really pleased to see the unanimous support of councillors from across the whole of Southwark for this important motion. Southwark is very much a borough of animal lovers and I know that there are many responsible pet owners across the borough who really love their own pets."
