Aquatics - Public and Private Aquarium

• Animal Welfare Act 2006
  • applies to zoos, public aquaria, and private aquaria
• Zoo Licensing Act 1981 
• Pet Animals Act 1951
  • help make sure the AWA is being followed

• cost
  • expensive to set up, design and build in pet shops and especially public aquarium
  • higher electricity cost in public aquariums and zoos compared to private aquaria
• sustainability
  • many fish in aquariums will have been wild caught
  • a lot of marine fish are subject to wild caught methods
  • wild caught is not a sustainable method of stocking aquariums
  • eletricity and carbon to transport the animals is high so is not very good for the environment
• welfare
  • regular inspections
  • home aquariums must look after any vertebrates in their care
  • unlikely to be prosecuted for bad welfare given to a fish
• knowledge
  • professional aquarists are more likely to know more, but there is exceptions 
  • home aquarists can know a lot, but it is not their day job
• ethics
  • gut feeling of right and wrong
  • may be different between different types of establishments

• raise money for conservation projects
• must be involved in conservation or they will not get their zoo license
• role of a modern zoo
• education

In 2016 The Deep played host to a pilot project in conjunction with Bangor University to assess the success for the collection of reef fish larvae to transport for aquaculture at the CAMS research facility for rearing trials without detriment to the viable embryos.

• pet shops and home aquaria do not have to play a part in conservation

• more space and expertise
  • can have specialists in certain marine species
• trials for life in captivity
  • test if a species is suitable for being kept in captivity
  • some species do not adapt to captivity
• rescues
  • rehoming animals that private aquarium owners do not want anymore
  • terrapins are often rescued as they may be killed or released into the wild
• link to conservation
  • if they are capable of being bred in captivity, we can increase populations
  • captive populations can be used for research, e.g., best temperatures for breeding
  • can be used in captive breeding
  • sharks are often captive bred

• it is thought 79% of animals held in public aquariums in the UK are thought to have been taken from the wild (2019)
• many ethical considerations of public and private aquarium