Image via Space World Facebook Page
A Japanese theme park was forced to close down after they received a ton of criticism online for freezing 5,000 dead fish into its ice rink as part of a special attraction.
Space World posted photos on their Facebook page of the “ice aquarium”-themed display, which featured more than 25 different kinds of dead fish embedded in the ice, some with their mouths gaping and others arranged into patterns and words. The photos, which have since been removed, also appeared to show crabs and other shellfish beneath the ice.
Visitors could skate over the creatures in what was intended to be an educational and interactive experience, park owners say.
This ice rink is swimming … with thousands of dead fish. pic.twitter.com/YpHfV2sYY4
— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 30, 2016
But the response on social media was swift, with commenters calling the display insensitive and disrespectful. Some even urged others to boycott the park and told Space World to “go out of business.”
Park officials explained that the fish were already dead and not fit to be eaten when they were purchased from a local market. But after receiving hundreds of comments on Facebook and Twitter, they posted an apology on their website and closed the rink.
“We had endless opinions about the project, we were shocked … We are sorry for the project and decided to close the rink on that night,” Space World manager Toshimi Takeda told CNN.
So far, they have not announced if and when it will reopen.
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