Colombia rescues rare fish, then slaughters them a week later
1/11/17 2:46 PM
Colombia rescues rare fish, then slaughters them a week later
BOGOTA— Government officials launched an operation to “rescue” dozens of rare Asian fish from a shopping mall in Colombia’s capital city last week only to kill them several days later after realizing they had nowhere to put them.
The mayor’s office said on Tuesday that city government officials had decided to sacrifice the fish to prevent them from threatening the local ecosystem.
But the fish flop has not sat well with local residents, who are accusing the mayor’s office of acting recklessly and inhumanely. Conservation groups say the mayor could have found an alternate home for the 40 fish instead of resorting to mass slaughter.
“Death doesn’t have to be the only alternative after confiscation,” said Camilo Prieto, the director of the conservation group Movimiento Ambientalista. “We made a huge effort to save these fish and the city government never listened to us.”
More:
http://fusion.net/story/380023/colombia-rescues-rare-fish-then-slaughters-them-a-week-later/
