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The animal welfare campaigner spoke out after customer Tara Smith* says she snapped up 10 of the ‘peaceful’ cardinal tetra to add to her home aquarium set-up from a private seller on eBay last month.
When she went to open her mail she claims she was stunned to discover one dead already and the remaining usually vibrant red and blue critters ‘pale and stressed’ and listlessly swimming around in a 330ml bottle.
After one perished in transit, four others died days later after the journey that the disgusted shopper likened to them being ‘thrown around in a washing machine’.
eBay’s live animals policy states that sellers can list aquarium or pond fish up to 5cm long but they need to have necessary government permits and guarantee safe, overnight delivery.
Packham CBE said it was ‘blatant persecution’ and to suggest that there was a 5cm limit to ‘suffering and cruelty was absurd’.
Even the RSPCA have said they will be ‘reaching out to eBay to discuss their current policies’.
eBay’s website has many listings of live fish for sale including dozens of listings for the cardinal tetra that Tara purchased – most with the option ‘Post to me’.
One eBay seller says ‘in the unlikely event of your fish arriving DOA [dead on arrival]’ they offer a refund if the buyer sends a photo of the deceased fish in the unopened package – but only if the ‘whole order is DOA’.
The private eBay seller that Tara bought from has racked up dozens of negative reviews over the last 12 months from disgruntled customers.
Some claim their fish arrived in inappropriate packaging including cardboard boxes and plastic bags wrapped in paper and sent through Royal Mail, despite being prohibited.
Others bemoaned the fact their critters arrived dead on arrival.
Royal Mail’s prohibited and restricted items list states that the are happy to post ‘live creatures, insects and invertebrates including bees, caterpillars, earthworms, spiders and stick insects’.
However it goes on to state ‘Royal Mail do not accept fish or fish fry’.
eBay confirmed they allowed sellers to post live fish to customers providing they were under 5cm and could ‘guarantee safe delivery’ – though it’s unclear if ‘safe’ refers to the parcel arriving or the fish surviving.
They did not state whether they would take any action against the seller despite the dozens of buyers claiming fish died en route to them.
Chris Packham CBE said: “This isn’t bad packaging – this is blatant persecution. To suggest a size limit of suffering and cruelty is absurd.
“We know that fish can experience stress and pain and to suggest this stops beneath certain dimensions is both illogical and irresponsible.
“eBay has a moral responsibility, there is an ethical duty to ensure their selling and shipping does not result in a literal ‘last post’ for these sentient beings.
“If people care about their companion animals, the living creatures they share their homes and gardens with, they need to take responsibility for where and how they purchase their pets.”
Tara, from near Sheffield, South Yorks, said: “It makes me angry and really upset to know people can transport any animal without any care or compassion for the animals’ well being.
“Some will say ‘it’s just fish’ but even fish have a brain and can feel pain and suffering.
“I’m not sure how long they were in the pop bottle for or even how long they were in the postal system.
“They arrived pale due to stress and probably lack of oxygen. Imagine yourself in a tight space being thrown around like if you were in a washing machine.
“And on top [of that] the oxygen being slowly depleted.
“Sadly not all survived. Out of the 10, one had died on arrival, four more died days later so only five are now healthy and living a good life.”
Tara ordered 10 of the fish from the private seller on eBay, which landed on her doormat on June 22nd.
Startling pictures show a brown paper bag wrapped around the small bottle with the pale creatures half-heartedly swimming about inside.
Tara’s post read: “TRIGGER WARNING PICTURES ARE SHOCKING FOR SOME.
“Has this group got a ‘don’t buy from’ list because what I have just received has shocked [me].
“This seller wants banning from ever keeping fish, let alone selling them.
“Paper bag wrapped around a pop bottle and delivered by Royal Mail of all people. All fish safely in a hospital tank and hopefully recover.”
Horrified fish lovers commented on the post.
One wrote: “OMG that’s awful, are they actually for real? It’s a wonder they’re still alive.”
Another commented: “I feel like you’ve done them a favour though, you’ve literally saved these little fishies due to your quick thinking, well done to u!!”
One added: “I think it has to be a private seller 100%. No shop in the right mind would post fish like that, no human should ship fish like that.”
An RSPCA spokesman said: “This must have been really distressing for Tara and is a wholly inappropriate way to transport fish.
“We are a nation of animal lovers but sadly some animals, such as fish, can sometimes be seen as less important than others. But fish are sentient animals which means they have physical and emotional experiences so it’s important to consider how our actions may impact them.
“We will be reaching out to eBay to discuss their current policies. No matter the size of an animal, they deserve our kindness and respect and transporting these fish in the post, or in such a small container, is completely unsuitable and would certainly have led to them being seriously distressed.
“We want to see a world where every animal is treated with kindness and compassion – and this, of course, includes our pet fish.”
Dominic Whitmee, chief executive of the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association [OATA], said: “We share this fishkeeper’s dismay and annoyance at the treatment of her fish in this way.
“Fish should never be sent through postal services, in fact it’s against the law to do so, and they certainly shouldn’t be transported in a plastic bottle like this.
“We would urge anyone buying fish online, particularly on these types of selling sites, to check how their fish will arrive and to refuse to buy from people who do not use an authorised courier.”
Royal Mail declined to comment further.
An eBay spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to hear about our customer’s experience on eBay.
“We prohibit the sale of most live animals, however, aquarium or pond fish (up to 5cm long), snails, tadpoles or similar creatures are permitted as long as the seller can guarantee safe, overnight delivery. Aquarium or pond fish longer than 5cm may be listed with the ‘Collection in person’ option.”
The seller admitted to supplying ‘nano fish’ – a trade term for small fish – in bottles but denied they were ‘fizzy drink’ bottles and said they didn’t send fish via Royal Mail, despite the reviews claiming otherwise.
They said they adhered to eBay’s policies including the ‘safe, guaranteed overnight delivery’, while referencing their thousands of positive ratings, while blaming complaints on ‘competitors’.
* Name changed on request of contributor.
