Space World Amusement Park in Japan has been forced to shut down its ice-skating rink on Sunday after receiving online backlash for putting frozen fishes on display on the floor.

The rink, which has just entered into its third week of operation, has had to be closed down owing to public disapproval. Many described the decision to put the dead fishes on display as not only "cruel" and "immoral" but also "weird," according to the Irish Times.

Like Us on Facebook

"This is just so wrong. I'm ashamed as a Japanese that this whole idea was "okay" for all of them that they could actually make it happen," posted Yui Dosuee on the amusement park's Facebook wall.

Skaters were allowed to glide through nearly 5,000 fishes which had been frozen in the ice.

Space World Amusement Park explained that the dead fishes was bought at wholesale price from a local market. They were then planted on the ice to make it look as though they were swimming.

The company, however, explained that the whale sharks and other big fishes which had been showcased in the ring were not real but enlarged photos placed under the ice.

An unidentified spokesperson of the park told BBC News that as at Sunday evening, the ring had been closed down and that plans were underway to remove the fish and return the rink back to its normal state.

"We are not certain when we will re-open the rink, but it will be in December" he said.

In an interview with Asahi Shimbun, the spokesperson is quoted saying that the park would plan a special memorial service for the fishes next year.

TagsJapan, Space World Amusement Park, Online community, Fish