5:52pm UK, Friday July 23, 2004

An Italian town has banned pet owners from keeping goldfish in bowls. 

The Monza town council believes fish get a "distorted view of reality" when they are kept in a bowl. 

180-goldfish

A distorted view of reality?

"A fish kept in a bowl has a distorted view of reality ... and suffers because of this," council official Giampietro Mosca explained. 

"Also, this type of receptacle generally doesn't have a filter and doesn't allow for good oxygenation of the water, unlike in rectangular aquariums.  

The new laws - which come into effect in a fortnight - also ban the sale of coloured chicks at fairs and the use of small animals as competition prizes.  

Mr Mosca said the laws were designed to educate young people about treating animals properly.  

"The ruling is intended to transmit a message about the correct treatment of domestic animals," he said.  

"In Monza, where we have no less than 15,000 dogs for 120,000 inhabitants.  

"You have no idea of the hygiene problems caused by animals and people living together and we don't want to see animals treated like objects any longer."