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It's a while ago now, but once upon a time I put a pond in my backyard and stocked it with koi and goldfish. Eventually, it became its own little self sustaining eco-system (more or less) I fed them occasionally, but not that often. Even so, in my experience they were as personable as any domestic animal to be found in western society. They could easily identify me, or to be more precise, distinguish me from other people by sight. When I went wading in the pond to do the occasional bit of maintenance, they would come up and say hello in their own way and basically just hang out...quite happy to receive a pat or two - and they weren't there expecting to be fed.
They had their own little social structure as far as I could tell and personalities that most people wouldn't attribute to such creatures.
It struck me that if I was ever going to raise fish as a food source, the most difficult thing would be to take a knife to one of your mates, so to speak.
Having moved on, it's the only thing about that house that I miss.
Point being, fish are a whole lot smarter and more socially aware than most people give them credit for and deserve to be shown some basic degree of respect in my humble opinion.
2c
Last edited by clive milne; 17-11-2016 at 06:48 PM.
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