Vegan Fishkeepers?

[opal]

I have wondered lately if being vegan and fish keeping are conflicts of interest. Especially when it comes to the terrible treatment of a lot of pet store / big chain places... Sometimes I feel like I am supporting all those terrible practices by buying the sad bettas for example.
So are there any other vegans on Fishlore who'd like to weigh in? Do you ever feel like your fishy hobby is a conflict to your moral beliefs?

 

[Plecomaker]

I'm vegetarian, not vegan. Ive thought about and keep most vegan fish
I'm pretty careful about who I buy from, no chains.

 

[Flowingfins]

I'm vegetarian as well. I don't mind keeping fish(obviously) I just don't like the though of killing/eating things that were once alive(except for plants, I hate plants). I do feel very strongly about people keeping fish in inadequate conditions, but that's a topic for another thread.

 

[Plecomaker]

Id say cats are a much bigger issue then fish personally.
especially where i. Am.

frankly, good fish keepers have saved some species, especially redtail sharks, whose normal waterways have seriously threatened their wild status

 

[opal]

Great responses I have just always wondered because some vegans I know are against it! But that's probably more of a personal preference thing anyway. I think as long as I'm keeping them in appropriate conditions and trying to buy my fish from responsible owners, then I'm probably in the clear.

 

[TikiBird]

I'm vegetarian not vegan, but it's an issue I have thought about. I have two parrots and lots of fish. I do sometimes wonder if it's wrong to keep "exotic" pets. I read a long time ago on the PETA website some recommendations for keeping pet birds. They were against it, but they said if you do it, to keep more than one, so that's what I did. As for fish, I keep schooling fish in groups because I feel it's sort of the same principle. And then I try not to worry about it.

 

[Plecomaker]

I liketo point outenvironmental benefits.
so many waters in places, like thailand, are so polluted that many species exist primarily in aquaria. If they need to bring back the wild population, theyll need us.

of course, not all fish keepers are equal, but frankly that's true with keeping any pet, or frankly any child.