If you ’ve been feeling the pinch in your wallet lately , you ’re not alone . Thewhole reality is sufferingfrom what economists are call “ stagflation , ” with the cost of hold out on the rising , economy slowing down , and recessions looking likely for nations across the planet .

We ’re almost all hold to make some forfeiture latterly . buy stock - blade rather than name - stain , for example . But for some picky penguins , that ’s just not just enough when it comes to the tasty treats they ’ve come to expect .

“ Even if they ’ll take it in their schnozzle , they ’ll just spit it out , ” Hiroki Shimamoto toldVICE World News . He ’s the head zookeeper at Hakone - en Aquarium , in the Kanagawa prefecture south of Tokyo , where the house physician 20 penguins and five otter have recently had to make a dietary downgrade when it comes to the fish they eat and are distinctly not impressed .

“ I ’m not sure if the brute can taste a significant difference , but you may tell they ’re not used to it , ” he say .

Japan ’s economic system has been importantly affected by global event , with COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine spurringrarely - before - go steady Mary Leontyne Price hikesin the island nation . That has meant that the price of running Hakone - en has rise by about 20 percent this year alone – and has leave behind the steward fight to cut cost .

While the previous bill of fare was a selection of fatty aji , or Japanese horse mackerel , the tenants of Hakone - en have been lento exchange to a cheaper type of mackerel call saba . At first , just one - tenth of the creature ’ dieting was converted to the less expensive meat – but as price have stay on to increase , so too has the amount of saba .

On top of this , the marine museum says they ’ve had to take step like turning off lights and reducing how often they clean the filtration army tank – though not to the extent that the animals ’ wellness would be affected .

But if someone turns up to dinner party in a tuxedo , they ’re going to gestate a sure tier of swank – and for those feathery fellas who go on to work up their snout at the young offerings , rest insure : they are n’t live on without , Shimamoto tell VICE .

“ For the ones who refuse to eat on the new Pisces , ” he said , “ we just give them what they used to consume . ”