Is Buddhist animal liberation a merit collecting exercise?

The Pali canon identifies three bases of merit (Pali: puññakiriyavatthu). In the Puññakiriyavatthusuttaṃ ("Meritorious actions discourse," AN 8.36 or A 8.4.6),^[1] the Buddha identifies these three bases:

• giving (dānamayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)
• virtue (sīlamayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)
• mental development (bhāvanāmayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)

In the "Sangiti Sutta" ("Chanting together discourse," DN 33), verse 38, Ven. Sariputta identifies the same triad:dāna, sīla, bhāvanā.^[2]

In the Khuddaka Nikaya's Itivuttaka (Iti. 1.22),^[3] the three bases are defined as: giving (dānassa), self mastery (damassa) and refraining (saññamassā).^[4] Later in this same sutta, the triad is restated as: giving (dāna), a life of mental calm (sama-cariya)^[5] and a mind of good-will (metta-citta).^[3]

Is Buddhist animal liberation a merit collecting exercise?

Again it is important to practice right intention with the right effort.  If one's purpose of deliberately doing a good deed is to collect merits, the intention is wrong, and thus little merits are generated.   One such form is the Animal Liberation exercise that Buddhists got entangled into.

I have seen Buddhists buying farm cultured fishes and releasing them to the ocean or reservoir, only to be served as some other animals' dinner.  Worst still, after the animal liberation exercise, this same group of people will go to a restaurant for seafood where live fishes, prawn and crabs are immediately killed for their pleasure.

Buddhists should refrain from killing intentionally. Liberating animals for the sake of self merits is not a recommended practice as it may increase suffering to the animals.

Buddhists earn merit through mindfulness, meditation, chanting and other rituals.

A post-canonical commentary (Atthakatha) , elaborating on the canonically identified meritorious triad of dana-sila-bhavana (see D.III,218), states that lay devotees can make merit by performing these seven more specific acts:

1. honoring others (apacayana-maya)
2. offering service (veyyavacca-maya)
3. involving others in good deeds (pattidana-maya)
4. being thankful for others' good deeds (pattanumodana-maya)
5. listening to Teachings (dhammassavana-maya)
6. instructing others in the Teachings (dhammadesana-maya)
7. straightening one's own views in accord with the Teachings (ditthujukamma)^[6]

Merits is generated for pure action with no hidden agenda and definitely not an intentional stamp collecting exercise.  But there is no one size fits all answer and it is up to you to be mindful of your own actions.

--
May you be well, happy, peaceful.

With Gratitude,
ROBIN