Re: NANFA-L-- Re: the aquarium hobby as conservator of

Michael Gaines (michaelandclarine-in-sbcglobal.net)
Wed, 10 May 2006 19:51:13 -0700 (PDT)

Tell that to the various Victorian cichlids and goodeids that exist because of hobbyists. Many of the world's endangered fishes are little effected by collection. Most goodeids that are facing extinction will go there even if not a single fish is ever collected from the wild. Those who keep and breed these species may not have the opportunity to help reintroduce them to the wild, but then again they may.
Who are these people who are more qualified? Except for a few zoos, Fish Ark Mexico, and CFI, most of those programs are collossal failures, and the ones which are not do not have the resources for every endangered species.
IMHO, if it's legal to collect and distribute them, the only ethical mandate is that you breed and distribute them to others who will do the same.
Michael

Christopher Scharpf <ichthos-in-comcast.net> wrote:
Mike Lucas said:

> I think sometimes we like to think we can do more then we really can or use
> the "raising for conservation" rationalization to keep something we just plain
> want to have. There certainly are plenty of neat fish out there, that are in
> no danger, to collect and enjoy. For the others our energy might be better
> used to support the institutions truely qualified to do some good and to help
> protect the natural environments.

Truer words have never been spoken on this list, Mike. Thanks for saying
them.

Chris Scharpf
Baltimore
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