(U.S. - Fl.) Fair Game Loses Luster Without Goldfish Prizes

[Mary Finelli]

FAIR GAME LOSES LUSTER WITHOUT GOLDFISH PRIZES
Animal-Rights Activists Oppose Idea of Pets as Fair Game Prizes
Palm Beach Post, Charles Passy, January 24, 2007

You'll find animals just about everywhere at the South Florida Fair:

But the only goldfish you'll find on the midway are of the stuffed variety.

"Where's the fish?" is all concessionaire Anna Prince says she has heard since the start of the fair. She's referring to the pint-sized aquatic creature — Carassius auratus, to you ichthyologists — that's typically found swimming in rows of goldfish bowls throughout her booth. Toss a pingpong ball into one of those bowls — it's two bucks for seven tries — and you can take a fish home.

Now, you can still play the game, but the live fish are missing in action, leaving the "plush," as carnies refer to stuffed animals, in their place.

Prince doesn't really have an answer for inquisitive fairgoers as to why she's prohibited from offering the popular prize.

After all, scorpions and snakes are on sale at a booth, pigs are racing on a crowded concourse and steers are being showcased in the Agriplex.

"You can buy a snake, but you can't win a goldfish?" she asked in disbelief.

Fair officials say it's all in the name of being kind to animals. "The fair got inundated with complaints that kids were leaving the bags (of goldfish) in the sun," fair President Rick Vymlatil said.

more at:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2007/01/24/m1a_FAIR_FISH_0124.html
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