Buddhist ritual saves exotic fish from slaughter — only for ‘adventurous’ Tibetan otters to feast on them instead

Two otters appear to be laughing while floating in the water. — Eurasian otters (*Lutra lutra*) confirmed a choice for non-native fish which might be launched throughout Buddhist rituals. (Picture credit score: Michael J. Cohen by way of Getty Pictures)

A Buddhist ritual has created an all-you-can-eat buffet for otters residing close to rivers on the Tibetan Plateau, new analysis suggests.

“Fangsheng,” which means life launch, is the non secular follow of saving and releasing animals that have been destined to be slaughtered. Buddhist texts advocate the ritual as a method of “paying again debt,” “erasing unhealthy luck… therapeutic sickness” and “extending one’s life,” amongst different advantages, in accordance with a 2020 examine within the Worldwide Journal of Interreligious and Intercultural Research.

In accordance with this follow, Buddhists residing on the Tibetan Plateau in southwestern China have been releasing fish they purchase from markets into native rivers since a minimum of the Nineties, a examine printed June 21 within the journal Present Zoology has discovered — and otters have acquired a style for the newly freed fish.

“Spiritual fish launch might present extra meals assets for otters,” researchers wrote within the examine. Launched fish are often unique, non-native species, resembling crucian carp (Carassius carassius) and customary carp (C. carpio), that might unfold ailments or compete with native species for assets. Native authorities banned releasing non-native fish into the wild in 2019, however residents have been largely unaware of this, the examine famous.

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Regardless of 1000’s of fish being launched yearly, researchers discovered solely a handful swimming in native rivers, together with simply two crucian carp in samples taken throughout spring 2022. This species has efficiently invaded and established populations elsewhere on the Tibetan Plateau, in accordance with the examine.

‘Adventurous customers’

Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) are high predators and “adventurous customers” that do not shrink back from new meals choices, the researchers mentioned. To seek out out whether or not otters are feasting on ritual fish, the group analyzed otter fecal samples on the banks of the rivers the place the fish are launched

The researchers discovered that, regardless of making up a tiny proportion of the fish out there, non-native fish species made up 20% of the prey detected in otter poop, suggesting they search out the ritual fish over naturally occurring species. “Eurasian otters confirmed a choice for launched fish,” the examine authors mentioned. The researchers suggest that by searching unique fish, the otters might mitigate the impression of Fangsheng and forestall non-native species from colonizing the river ecosystem.

Otters in all probability aren’t selecting launched fish for his or her style however as a result of they’re straightforward to catch.

Unique species haven’t advanced to deal with the chilly, low-oxygen circumstances on the Tibetan Plateau. With a mean elevation of 14,800 ft (4,500 meters) above sea stage, it’s sometimes called the “roof of the world,” in accordance with NASA’s Earth Observatory. Because of this, launched fish might not swim as quick as native species, the researchers instructed.

“One more reason could also be that non-native fish have increased vitamin and/or vitality, which must be studied additional sooner or later,” the authors wrote. The group hopes to proceed investigating the function of otters in eradicating launched fish by excluding the predators from a stretch of river.

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