BEIJING - Animal activists in China say a magic trick that was now famous goldfish swimming in sync for the Lunar New Year is abusive and called on the state broadcaster not to show it again.
Hundreds of millions of people watched the magic trick during a gala on China Central Television on January 30, the eve of the Lunar New Year holiday. The gala is issued China's most watched of the year.
Goldfish is a symbol of wealth in China, but the image of six of them swimming in perfect unison under the direction of the magician Fu Yandong alarmed some Chinese, who were worried that the magnets were implanted in fish that were controlled or electrical current.
Fifty-three groups of animal rights and other groups have sent a letter to the CCTV asking them not to let Fu perform the trick again in Thursday's issue of the Lantern Festival, which ends New Year events Lunar.
"We should be for non-violence, harmony and tolerance, but to my great surprise of CCTV, the state broadcaster, tells the audience that you can use animals for entertainment. I think this is wrong," said Shaon Qing, director of the Capital Animal Welfare Association.
Fu did not explain how the trick, but has defended its actions, saying in his microblog Twitter-like goldfish to "live happily."
Like many Chinese, the animal rights groups want to know how to do the trick and asked a group of independent experts to examine the fish. The letter warns against "torture or potential injury to animals resulting from audience members trying to imitate actions."
China has been working on a draft law on animal protection, but it is unclear when it will happen.
It was unclear if the magic trick was to perform again on Thursday, as animal advocates feared.
The Beijing Times on Tuesday quoted Chen Linchun, the show's director CCTV Lantern Festival, saying that plans for the dissemination of performing again only a rumor.
But the agent Fu, Ming Liang said Wednesday that a repeat of the trick is planned, although no final decision has been made of whether to include the issue of the Lantern Festival.
"It is not appropriate for me to say anything now. Just wait and see," he said in a telephone interview.
Liang said that Fu will continue to perform the trick goldfish. He denied that the fish are mistreated, but said he agreed with regard to animal rights groups that the public can harm fish when trying to copy the trick.
The agent declined to explain how, though. "It is absolutely impossible to make it known to the public how it works, because it is not fool a person is an entire profession."
CCTV referred any questions Wednesday to his office in charge of the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival emissions, where the phone was busy.
