Help me put a stop to fish tattooeing

HI guys and gals

I've just written this letter to my local fish store. I thought it might be useful if you'd like to do the same to your own local fish stores if they trade in tattooed fish.

Here it is. Feel free to copy/paste the applicable bits if you don't have the time to write one of your own.

Dear sir/madam

I am a regular customer at your shop in ***, and have always been impressed by your specialist products, and aquarium choices. I was quite surprised therefore to find tattooed fish (the striped parrot cichlid at the back of the first showroom) during my last visit (2 weeks ago).

Given the specialist knowledge your staff have, you will no doubt be aware of the high mortality rate undergone by fish with this practice, as well as the fact that this is a very painful process to the fish.

I discussed this with one of your employees, who confirmed that they were indeed tattooed fish, and that they were knowingly purchased from your supplier. When I asked whether this retail practice would continue at ***, he told me that it depended on the fish' popularity with customers. He was quite understanding of my objections, and was in fact too, against the process.

I write to enquire about Management's intentions: will this trade indeed continue at ***? If so, potential customers should be made aware of the process the fish go through to be coloured. I am in the middle of a survey of other fish stores in the area, and will shortly be publishing a name-and-shame list with my results. This will identify retail stores using this practice. Given my good experience with your store in the past, I look forward to hearing that you will in fact cease this practice after this first batch has been sold.

Thanks in advance for your response

My name
A concerned customer

 

Hi!

Nice one! Are we supposed to do a survey on it though? Like - an acctual list of things?

 

You got me beat all I do is inform managers what they're buying and that fading colors might drive business away later on down the road.

 

Stores generaly receive letters like this a lot it will prob just end up filed uner T for trash.

To most store owners its about selling product.. and your therats are just that they won't care...

Maybe if you informed them of the process and make your letter sound less hostile you would prob get a better responce

 

Thanks LA, I'll remember this post if I find any local shops dealing in tortured fish. I think I'll add a bit about informing the local fish club and getting the word out that they deal in tortured fish. Lots of fish shops around Denver, we can give business to the better shops that at least don't deal in tortured fish.

 

Great letter. Let us know if you get any response. Surprisingly the stores around me don't generally sell dyed/tattooed fish but I know it is a big problem in a lot of other areas.

 

Be sure to post the results of your conquest.

 

Oh no, no, nothing like that. It's just that I know I myself don't always have time to get around these mini-campaigning protests I always tell myself I should do. But on the other hand, I am a great believer in every little helps, and let's try to make the world a better place even by just planting a grain in someone's mind (the shopkeeper, in this case). So anyways, I figured if some of you are in the same position (intending to do stuff like that for ages but never getting round to it), then this makes it that little bit easier to do.

Basically, the idea is to encourage these mini-protests by making it easier (you can just copy/paste and change what's applicable). Even if it results in a couple of letters being sent, it's no extra effort for me to post it here, and, you know, again, every little helps.

Hi!



Nice one! Are we supposed to do a survey on it though? Like - an acctual list of things?

Well, I don't know. I think as long as it's written in a factual, unemotional, polite and fair way, then it increases the impact. I also think that if they receive only one such letters, it will just plant a small seed in their head about the fact that at least one customer is aware of the practice and that this is bad business in that customer's mind. This means that a lot more customers are also aware and have not written.

Should the same store receive two such letters, or more, I really think that they will at least gain awareness of some of the public's knowledge of this. As it cost me, like, 5 minutes, I figure it's worth a shot.

Stores generaly receive letters like this a lot it will prob just end up filed uner T for trash.

To most store owners its about selling product.. and your therats are just that they won't care...

Maybe if you informed them of the process and make your letter sound less hostile you would prob get a better responce

I was really relieved by the response: (pasted below). I'll check up later in the year to see if indeed they have ceased the practice, but it was nice to hear that it was, after all, not something they were doing intentionally. The spelling isn't all that, but the guy is Dutch so English isn't his first language.

Hello ***

The fish came to us bij a mis understanding

We tried to give them back but that wassent possible

We don’t kno what we have too doo it are living animals

And we are looking for a good home



Greatings, ****


Oh, and there is an international campaign on this that I've just found out about. Do quote this in your letters if you're thinking of writing yourselves, as I think it will add weight to your concerns:

It's run by a very reputable fish-keeping magazine in the UK. I don't know whether they're a big circulation magazine in the US, but they're huge over here. Anyways, the idea is to offer to regularly publish a list of shops that vouch not to deal in dyed fish retail (kind of the opposite of the name-and-shame approach, which has too many libel risks to be run by such a big name as Practical Fishkeeping). They basically offer free publicity to 'the good guys'.

Great letter. Let us know if you get any response. Surprisingly the stores around me don't generally sell dyed/tattooed fish but I know it is a big problem in a lot of other areas.

 

So they dye and tattoo fish? first I have heard of this practice. Gets me how some twisted mind can think of doing something like this to a fish.

 

Great idea about the local fish clubs.

Thanks LA, I'll remember this post if I find any local shops dealing in tortured fish. I think I'll add a bit about informing the local fish club and getting the word out that they deal in tortured fish. Lots of fish shops around Denver, we can give business to the better shops that at least don't deal in tortured fish.

Here's an updated template for possible re-use, integrating your ideas:

Dear sir/madam

I am a regular customer at your shop in ***, and have always been impressed by your specialist products, and aquarium choices. I was quite surprised therefore to find tattooed fish (the striped parrot cichlid at the back of the first showroom) during my last visit (2 weeks ago).

Given the specialist knowledge your staff have, you will no doubt be aware of the high mortality rate undergone by fish with this practice, as well as the fact that this is a very painful process to the fish.

I discussed this with one of your employees, who confirmed that they were indeed tattooed fish, and that they were knowingly purchased from your supplier. When I asked whether this retail practice would continue at ***, he told me that it depended on the fish' popularity with customers. He was quite understanding of my objections, and was in fact too, against the process.

I write to enquire about Management's intentions: will this trade indeed continue at ***? If so, potential customers should be made aware of the process the fish go through to be coloured.

I am in the middle of a survey of other fish stores in the area, and will shortly be publishing a name-and-shame list with my results. The list will identify retail stores using this practice. I shall be publishing this list on my own websites, the several fish-keeing forums I am a member of, and the local fish clubs in your area.

Please be aware that the reputable Practical Fishkeeping magasine offers to name-and-praise shops that pledge to not deal in tattooed fish. Should you wish to contact them to be added to the published list of 'the good guys', the contact details are: .

Given my good experience with your store in the past, I wanted to clarify this matter before adding your establishment to the 'name-and-shame' list. I am sure this is a misunderstanding and look forward to hearing that you will in fact cease this practice after this first batch has been sold.

Thanks in advance for your response

My name
A concerned customer

 

I went to that website, and my computer says that there are NO united states memebers!

Now I got to get my lfs!

 

That's a cool site, they are doing good things in the community.

 

I like the second draft much better. sounds more like your offering them options rather then threats...I've always find people respond better whe nyou offer them solutions when you are pointing out there problems,

Hmm maybe now I should ask my LFS to stock these so I can send them a letter..

Ok that was a joke.