In another, increasingly perennial, rite, environmentalists and animal-rights activists urge Iranians to stop the "massacre" of millions of goldfish, including by freeing them at the end of the Norouz festival into rivers and ponds in which they are almost certain to die. Many more fish perish under harsh conditions at markets and kiosks ahead of Norouz or at the hands of well-meaning but uninformed holidaymakers. Outdoor markets in Iran this time of year routinely feature tanks and plastic buckets crammed full of goldfish that are sold off in plastic bags. The semiofficial Mehr news agency noted this week that many of the fish die in transit.