- An Argentine court ruled two goldfish in a restaurant tank are sentient beings with rights
- The fish were kept in a small tank exposed to sun and noise, violating animal abuse law
- An NGO filed the complaint, leading to the fish being moved to a larger tank by a specialist
In a remarkable judgment, an Argentine court has ruled that two goldfish kept in a sushi restaurant's display tank were sentient beings with legal rights. The fish, named Fede and Magui, had lived in a 40-litre glass tank on the facade of the restaurant, exposed to direct sun and street noise. The NGO Jaulas Vacias filed a complaint arguing the setup violated Argentina's Law 14.346, which penalises animal abuse. The court agreed and ordered that the fish be moved.
"Anyone passing by and stopping to look could see it wasn't suitable for the fish," Matias Trufero, the NGO's lawyer, was quoted as saying by CNN.
Carlos Jose Aga, a specialist who assisted with the rescue, compared the tank to "putting two polar bears in a cage inside a sauna." Aga adopted the pair, moving them into a 2,500-litre tank at his home.
“Fish are like astronauts, they travel in their own environment with careful monitoring of all their vital parameters, and when they arrive at the place, those conditions must be reproduced with great accuracy to avoid imbalances that could lead to a decrease in their immunity,” Aga explained.
Beyond relocating the fish, Trufero's team asked the court to declare them "sentient beings" rather than being recognised merely as "objects". The court agreed with their assessment.
Trufero clarified the ruling doesn't ban keeping goldfish at home. "It's not illegal per se to keep a fish in a fish tank. However, it is illegal to keep them in conditions that cause mistreatment or cruelty."
Trees With Rights
Last month, a small town located in the Canadian province of Quebec officially recognised trees as living beings with rights of their own. Situated just west of the island of Montreal, Terrasse-Vaudreuil, a town of roughly 2,000 residents, unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the "Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Tree", an international environmental initiative.
The resolution's three main articles state that trees are living beings and a common human good, that life on Earth depends on their existence, and that humans must act in "fraternity and solidarity" with them.
Mayor Michel Bourdeau highlighted that Quebec filmmaker Andre Desrochers inspired the community to take action through his movie, Des arbes et des arts. The movie screening sparked extensive public discussion about the legal "personhood of trees" and the possibility of recognising them as living beings rather than mere objects.
