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Call to ban goldfish as fairground prizes in Wales

Should fish still be fairground prizes?

Goldfish should no longer be used as prizes at fairground stalls in Wales, a pet shop worker from the Vale of Glamorgan has said.

Holly Homer from Barry has launched a petition to the Welsh Assembly, saying most of the time people who win fish do not know how to care for them.

The Welsh Government expects to launch a consultation on animal exhibit licensing before the end of the summer.

Barry's funfair owner said he follows rules to ensure fish are cared for.

Fish cannot be given away as prizes in England and Wales to a person aged under 16 who is unaccompanied by an adult.

Some councils in England have banned it altogether, but none in Wales has done as yet.

Ms Homer, who is confident of getting the 5,000 signatures her petition needs to be debated by AMs, said she is concerned about the wellbeing of many fish that are won.

The 23-year-old said people come into her pet shop "swinging the fish around in a bag" and asking to buy a tank.

"They're never aware that the fish is going to grow huge, and they need a proper filtration system for it, medications," she said.

"Then most of the time they end up buying the smallest tank possible because they didn't know they would have to spend so much money for a pet they just won for £3.

"It's just happening across the board. People see goldfish as just a fish but they are sentient beings as well."

Henry Danter
Pleasure Park owner Henry Danter said fish are a "traditional" fairground prize

Henry Danter, whose fairground Barry Island Pleasure Park has a stall where you can win fish, said it was "a traditional fairground way" of giving out goldfish to the public and rules were followed to ensure the fish goes to a good home.

"From year in year out, people come back and tell us their goldfish is doing well," he said.

"We got a good result here of people winning fish and they have them for years and years and every time they look at that fish they think about the fun they had at Barry Island."

The Welsh Government said: "We are working on a number of policy changes including the intention to ban the use of wild animals in circuses in Wales; the regulation of animal exhibits; and the banning of third party sales of puppies and kittens.

"It is timely to remind everyone who is an owner or keeper of an animal, whether permanent or temporary, they have a responsibility to meet its needs."