Maintenance Of Tropical Fish Aquarium Can Contribute Greenhouse Gas Emissions Like Driving Thousands Of Mil

Dr. William Perry, Researcher at Cardiff University's Water Research Institute. (photo; @DrWillPerry)

JAKARTA - A study has found that maintaining tropical fish aquariums can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions as much as driving thousands of miles by car or motorcycle.

The carbon footprint and environmental impacts of this pet care have been calculated for the first time by the Cardiff University's Water Research Institute.

"In the UK, 4 million households have pet fish and an estimated 70% of those who raise fish have tropical freshwater aquariums," said Dr. William Perry, a researcher at the Institute quoted by MailOnline.

"Carbon spikes from the care of pets such as dogs and cats have been calculated previously, but we provide the first estimates of carbon dioxide emissions produced from the operation of tropical aquariums, as well as estimates of water consumption," said Dr. Perry.

Thrilled to announce my latest publication #JFB: The environmental impact of keeping a tropical aquarium in Northern Europe! This side project, on a topic dear to my heart, outlines for the 1st time the energy & water demands of tropical fish keeping https://t.co/XPQkSdcRNI 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/QrPnGE4TEU

— William Perry (@DrWillPerry) July 3, 2023

Thrilled to announce my latest publication #JFB: The environmental impact of keeping a tropical aquarium in Northern Europe! This side project, on a topic dear to my heart, outlines for the 1st time the energy & water demands of tropical fish keeping https://t.co/XPQkSdcRNI 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/QrPnGE4TEU

Dr. William Perry developed estimates of the environmental impact of fish care in several countries in North Europe (France, Poland, and England). These estimates are discussed in the context of freshwater and sea aquariums.

Using estimates from the UK, depending on the size and operating conditions, an average tropical aquarium produces an estimate of 85.3 - 635.2 kg of CO2 per year.

This is the same as traveling 3,483 miles on average motorcycles, according to the official data shown, and 2,265 miles in average gasoline cars.

The Department of Transportation said motorcycle riders average around 440 trips per year on their vehicles and average cover 4,800 miles per year. This is equivalent to about 875 kg of CO2.

The largest environmental factors include water warming, especially in larger aquariums, as well as the country of origin - due to differences in the level of decarbonization in the electricity grid of different countries.

"Maintaining ornamental fish can be an option for pets who are more environmentally conscious than having an average dog or cat, which is likely to produce much more emissions through the consumption of the meat," said Dr. Perry.

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"However, the environmental impact of fish care can also be large depending on the size of the aquarium, the way it operates, and even the country where it is located. There are still improvements that can be made to ensure the environmental sustainability of this hobby," he explained.

"The environmental impact of the energy needs to raise fish will improve as the national energy grid begins to decarbonize, but reducing the environmental impact of high water consumption will not be easy and will require death at an individual level," said Dr. Perry.

"This is an important consideration because we are facing a climate emergency related to our energy demand, as well as water insecurity related to our water demand," he added.

The study, entitled "The environmental impact of keeping tropical aquariums in Northern Europe," was published in the Journal of Fish Biology.