While it’s not illegal to customise your car, one Chinese driver has taken it too far by turning his car’s bonnet into a DIY fish tank.
There’s nothing quite like customising your car to suit your personality. And while cosmetic car modifications are a great way to identify your vehicle in a sea of stock-standard vehicles, this latest social media trend coming from China might have taken DIY too far.
In numerous viral online videos posted to social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, some Chinese motorists are converting their car’s bonnet into a fish tank equipped with live fish.
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According to a viral post, US-based media outlet Complex shared some examples of this harmful trend, with a range of vehicle bonnets – including a luxury Porsche SUV – being wrapped in clear vinyl to hold the water and the aquatic creatures in place.
Though most drivers opt to customise their bonnet, various online videos depict other parts of the car, such as passenger side doors, being converted into a fish tank.
While viral trends do attract a range of support, Complex’s Instagram post invited most users to condemn the cruel behaviour, with one commenter stating, “Is this not animal cruelty? How do the fish eat? Or not cook or freeze to death?”.
A different user who admitted he’s a “big fish consumer” shared his concerns, adding: “I’ve had fish as pets in big and small tanks. But this just seems torturous and disturbing”.
Another commenter said, “Just know I’m cutting the vinyl off your car and taking the fish somewhere where the sun doesn’t boil them alive”.
According to multiple local reports, one driver, identified as Mr Li from Shenyang in Northeast China, was the main culprit of this disturbing car trend, with the driver telling local media he wanted to “raise fish” on his car’s bonnet.
Mr Li said the idea came to him after a trip when the driver forgot a bucket to humanely transport the caught fish. The alleged offender shared the modification process on Chinese social media apps, but warned others not to follow in his footsteps.
However, it was too late. Other drivers jumped on the trend, with Li telling local media, “I just wanted to film and share something interesting, I never actually drove it”.
Local police said Mr Li’s car modification is illegal and is barred from being driven on roads. It’s unknown if the driver faced any consequences for his behaviour.
But before you start adding fish to your DIY fish tank, it’s worth noting that all Australian states and territories have animal cruelty legislation in place, and depending on the severity of the offence, guilty offenders could face thousands of dollars in fines and potential imprisonment.
For example, in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, “aggravated animal cruelty” – defined as an individual causing harm or permanent animal disfigurement – can incur a maximum fine of $101,500, $550,000, $333,800 or two to three years imprisonment, respectively.
Drive reached out to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) for comment and will update the story with its response.
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