15/02/2012

 

Stable Environment for healthy fish needed

 

Maneka Gandhi

(Bihar Times) I went to Delhi’s most visited mall Select City, since we have a weekly stall for puppy/kitten adoption. The owner took me on a tour of the mall and pointed out a star attraction- a fish pedicure.

 

I have rarely seen anything more disgusting. People put their feet into a tub of small live fish who chew off the dead flesh of the heels and underneath the toes.  Man’s ability to be cruel and ridiculous seems to have no limits.

 When I came home I looked up this bizarre practice on the Net and found that it started in 2006  in Japan but is now being done in many countries  with all sorts of people making a quick buck from beauty parlours to ‘street traders’ at markets with storage boxes full of fish. In 2008 it started in the United States and in 2010 in U.K.

The fish being used is the Garra rufa or the toothless Reddish Logsucker. Garra rufa is native to the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Since it has been “discovered” for this gruesome trade, it has become so overfished that Turkey has banned it for export – and so it is an illegal smuggler’s fish.

 The fish is touted as a tool to treat patients suffering from various skin disorders including psoriasis and eczema. The spas say that the fish will consume the dead and diseased areas of the skin, leaving the healthy skin to grow. This is not true. Filtration systems of tanks that have been analyzed have shown blood and healthy skin as well.

 But before I get to the medical aspect, let me tell you about the cruelty aspect.

 Fish need a stable environment, with the correct water quality and temperature range. In the ocean or river the fish can swim to a clean environment. But confined to a tub, they are exposed to smelly, grimy feet, nail polish, creams and lotions which leach into the water. Similarly, chemicals used to disinfect tanks and to clean patients' feet beforehand are potentially extremely toxic to the fish.

 Garra rufa eat dead skin but only small amounts. But this is not their food. They eat like other fish do : they forage for algae – particularly green algae, small water fleas, woodlice, shrimps, rotifers - microscopic invertebrates with a wheel-shaped crown of projecting threads, and protozoa , insect larvae, freshwater worms and  tardigrades -tiny water animals with a short body and four pairs of stubby legs. The skin-feeding behaviour manifests only under conditions where the food supply is scarce and unpredictable. The fish must be starved to eat skin, which is extreme cruelty. Here they are eating dead human skin all day long. it is not uncommon to see a number of dead fish floating in each tank, with the primary cause of death being ammonia and nitrate poisoning or overfeeding

 Garra rufa fish belong to river basins, they do not belong in barren tanks inside artificially lit salons or in buckets in malls. People set up fish pedicure businesses with little or no experience in caring for the large quantities of fish that are required to run the business. In a few months all the little creatures are dead.  

 If cruelty to these river basin fish does not interest you, what about severe risks to your health? Many countries and 14 states of the USA and Canada have banned the practice as unsanitary and dangerous. It is neither a medical nor a cosmetic procedure. Fish pedicures are just revenue enhancers for struggling salons and unscrupulous entrepreneurs

 In the UK, the Health Protection Agency issued a statement in October 2011 warning that fish foot spas could potentially spread blood borne viruses such as Hepatitis and HIV if infected clients bleed into the spa water and if someone with a cut or abrasion were to use a tank containing traces of blood from an infected person with cuts? Inspection teams found fish tank water contained a number of harmful micro-organisms and that infections could be transmitted from fish to person (during the nibbling process) and person to person via the bacteria which multiply in water. The report said: Infections could spread through open sores or blisters. People with weak immune systems or underlying medical conditions like diabetes. Bacteria that cause salmonellosis and legionnaires’ disease could come through broken skin. Staphylococcus aureus might infect people’s skin if they have eczema or psoriasis. A bacterium called Mycobacterium marinum, which is associated with fish tanks and non-chlorinated swimming pools, could cause boils if transferred into broken skin. Fungi are known to survive on inanimate surfaces for prolonged periods and could be passed on by infected clients walking around barefoot.

  The report recommended that people who should not have a fish pedicure as they may increase the risk of infection or pose an infection risk to other clients are:

 -have had their legs waxed or shaved in the previous 24 hours as they may have tiny cuts.

-have any open cuts, wounds, abrasions or broken skin on the feet or lower legs

-have athlete’s foot or warts, psoriasis, eczema or dermatitis ,diabetes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV, have bleeding disorders or take anticoagulant medication (for example, heparin or warfarin)  

While salons say they use ultraviolet lights and filters to keep the tanks clean but how do you sanitize epidermis eating fish? Even if the fish are changed for each person, no one has a limitless supply and no fish are killed after each nibbling session. Due to the cost of the fish, salon owners are likely to use the same fish multiple times with different customers, which increases the risk of spreading infection. Do fish spas provide their clients with medical information on potential risks? Are client’s feet examined both before and after treatment to make sure they are free from cuts and infections? Staff should log that these checks have been performed. Are feet thoroughly washed and rinsed before a pedicure to minimise the number of micro-organisms transferred into the tank. If bleeding occurs is the tank drained and cleaned thoroughly.  Indian officials have been very negligent:

Since the fish are Turkish how did they get into India? Do the owners have any customs certification or CITES permission since this fish is protected in its home country and export is banned. Imagine someone keeping a Sumatran tiger in their shop. The first question would be how it came into the country. The same principle applies to fish.

A fish is a live animal. It has to be kept in a licensed aquarium or a meat/fish shop and is subject to rules. It certainly cannot be kept in a beauty parlour or mall shop that has not been licensed to sell or use fish.

Since Garra rufa are expensive, some salons are using another type of fish, the  Chinese Chinchin, which is often mislabelled as Garra rufa and used in fish pedicures. This grows teeth and can draw blood, increasing the risk of infection

Environmentally Garra rufa is a threat to native plant and animal life if released into the wild. Many misguided salon owners simply pour live fish into drains or ponds after they have "used" them.

To join the animal welfare movement contact gandhim@nic.in

Comment

previous articles...

Stable Environment for healthy fish needed

Fish Lovers- Beware

Role of Bacteria in shaping behavior of genes

A Suitable Cow

Some Tips On Nursing Puppies

Ban Battery cage for chicken

Varieties of Chicken we eat

Slaughter houses and increased crime rates

Breeds of dog in India

Cruelty to animals on the occasion of festivals

Real foods spoil very quickly, fast foods not

 The Myth of Swine & Avian Flu in India

Fish eating causes health hazard

Animal sacrifice in Pauri Garhwal area of Uttarakhand  

Difference between Veg and Non-veg

Virgin Mary among Lizards

Nature-the most inspiring model for our Ecosystems

Role of denial in eating of Meat

The Technology of Synthetic Milk

Honeybee-the insect for human food chain

 Why do dogs bark

Characteristics of varieties of caterpillars

Emotional Complexity of Animals

Meat eating causes diseases

Rat in Hindu mythology

Which animal you are

Man’s alter ego-an Animal

Career in management of welfare of Animals

Profession of  Pet grooming

What you Eat When you Eat Processed Meat

How to train a dog to make it useful

The Purpose of Minor Beings in Our Ecosystem

Cruelty to Bears in Pakistan

How  Onion Drives Away Viruses

How to save an animal from burn injury

Production of Honey is cruelty to Bee

Meat eating causes Global warming

Hazards of fish factories

Growth of a bird till it flies

Creatures of the world live and help live

Killing a snake brings bad luck

Effects of the startle Reflex on Animals

Awaken Your Soul by Loving Animals

Feeling of grief in Animals

Talking Plants

Altruism in Animals

Music Soothes Animals

How Animals recognize their Kins

Animals teach their offspring like human moms

Cruelty to Animals in Slaughter houses

What is the secret to a perfect life and happiness?

How is Ghee being adulterated ?

Difference between a man & an animal

Homosexuality Is Not Against Nature In Animal Kingdom

Programmes for improving Animal Welfare

Promiscuity in mating behaviour of Birds

Uses for slaughtered Animals accelerate killing of Animals

Slingshots & Catapults Destroy Wild Life

Human Intelligibility of Animals

Animal grooming of offspring is worth emulating

Illegal Trade of Killing Cattle

Eating Cattle Meat Causes E Coli Infection

Some tips on making  Puppies’ life comfortable

Some tips on keeping kittens clean

Snake skin trade dangerous for eco system

Dog shows are not for dog lovers but for moneymakers and charlatans

Political agenda for Animal welfare needed

How foolish it is to kill Sea creatures for Ornaments

Infectious diseases from Animals to Humans

How pitiable is Rabbit farming?

Remedies for Animal ailments

Infected Pig Meat Risks Your Life

Animals spread dangerous Ebola virus to humans

Animals Have More Sense

Municipal Policy on hazards of pet shops

Mutualism  makes Species of the nature flourish

Adoption Fair for Puppies

How Animals behave in packs

Why People prefer dogs and cats to human beings

Positive effects of spaying and neutering on pets

Mammals & Birds cry like human beings

Biomemetics Provides solution to human problems

Chinese food products- the greatest killer

Pets make better partners than humans

How harmful is the Packaged Meat

Stop Slaughter of Cows for Bone Trade

How cruel it is to dump pet animals ? view comments...

Don’t hurt animals on festive occasions

Let the earth beings survive

Glues are made of animal remains

Meat increases risk of cancer

Birds provide springboard to song composers

Is it not an act of Cannibalism?

How many animals do you have to eat before you become man ?

To eat or not to eat Meat

Insulin from Animals 

Is It Healthy Decision to Promote Rat Eating in Bihar

Use of Animal bones in Porcelain

Infection of Tick disease in Dogs and its cure

Vegetarian diet is the best diet for human beings

Non-Veg  Diet causes  Dementia

Excuses for being non-vegetarians

Body odour of Non-vegetarians

Feeling Good

MEAT threatens Planet’s Survival

Am I smarter than you ? Yes, if you are a meat eater.

Need to  orient educational system to deal with animals

How to Avoid Cruelty to Gold Fish?

How To Make Everyday An Animal day

Are Eggs Vegetarian?

Are You One of these People ?

Use of Animal Fats in Cosmetics Industries

Killing of endangered Species for Perfume Industries

Missionary Campaign to Control Cruelty to Animals- needed

Drink Milk, Get Sick

Parents Create Monsters

The Business of Murder:Factory Farming and the Meat Industry in India

Effect of landscaping of birds on environment

Dangers of killing deep Sea-Sharks for  Cosmetic Products

Use of dog in diagnosis of diseases

Sacred Nature of Neelkanth

Cruelty to Polo Ponies comments...

Self-Regulation of Population by Animals

Dangers of Animal meat eating

Arsenic poison in chicken feed

Cruelty to Animals by Govt. Vets

Worship of God with Blood and Suffering of Animals and Birds

Consequences of Chloramphenicol in Shrimp Industry

Hazards of Trade in Peacocks’ Feather

Supreme Court Ban on cruelty to Animals

Are you a Bad Pet Owner?

The Goat That Laughed and Wept

Animal Owners’ personality traits resemble their Pets’

Human Propensities of Goat

Animal sacrifice at the altar of religion

Animal as foster parent

Animal feed from rendering plant

Trade in WildLife

Human Intelligence of Birds

Human Propensities of Cow