this idea has no redemption, for all the same reasons that exotics
introduced for other reasons were done so wrongheadedly. All it can
accomplish is to harm environments in one place because environment
has already been harmed elsewhere.
The concept of a refuge is an old one in conservation. It usually
involves habitat of the same kind, within the same general geographic
area, where a species-in-risk occurs. Texas did (unwisely) introduce
Guadalupe bass (Micropterus treculi) into the Nueces R. drainage. But
at least that river is in the same general area. the reason was not
to establish a sport fishing population of Guadalupe bass in the
Nueces R. system, but to provide a haven for them in a less degraded
system than the native Colorado and Guadalupe Rivers, both of which
have introduced smallmouth bass that hybridize with the native
Guadalupe's.
See what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to mess up
nature?
The proposal to introduce elephants and other African savannah animals
to the N. American Great Plains was not one to provide refuge for
those animals. It was to restore the author's perception of
ecological integrity to the degraded Great Plains, particularly the
short grass prairies of the plains' western stretches. Those
environments formerly hosted animals ecologically like the African
animals proposed for introduction, but human alterations of the
environment, including prehistoric ones, eradicated the native animals.
Hmmmmmmmm ........... .
Dave McNeely
David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm
"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"
----- Original Message -----
From: Moontanman-in-aol.com
Date: Monday, May 15, 2006 2:34 am
Subject: NANFA-L-- Old story, new twist?
> The other day I suggested that we consider introducing certain
> fish into our
> North American River systems, some exotic fish that are not only
> endangered
> in their natural habitat but in many cases their natural habitat
> it's self is
> indeed endangered. Now before every gets out their flame throwers
> hear me
> out. First of all I am not comparing these fish to accidental
> releases of fish
> who were doing quite well in their old habitat. The list is long
> and sad of
> fish that have been released through aquariums, pond overflow, and
> intentional
> release so some exotic could be caught by someone who was an
> immigrant as
> well,
> We have released carp, peacock bass, various trout out side
> their range,
> flathead catfish, Blue catfish, channel catfish, large mouth
> bass, small
> mouth bass, pike, walleye, perch, bluegills (and other related
> fish). I am sure
> I am leaving out several others but the point is that these fish
> were
> released outside their range for one reason, to please the angler.
> We all know how
> good or badly these releases turned out. There has been talk about
> releasing
> African animals to the Great Plains due to lack of habitat in
> Africa, while I
> am not so sure about going for a walk and running into a lion or a
> bull
> elephant in musk. We as a group have the pull (true a very small
> pull) to get fish
> released into our water ways for reasons other than the benefit of
> anglers,
> for the preservation of unique species of fish that are unlikely
> to cause as
> much trouble as big headed carp, or flathead catfish. Some of my
> ideas are
> Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni, Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni,
> Psephurus
> gladius, _Paddlefsih_ (http://www.capachi.com/paddlefish.htm) ,
> Pangasius gigas,
> maybe even a place could be found for the dwarf alligator or
> Orcaella breviros
> tris. Can you give me why these fish deserve not to be treated -in-
> least as
> well as fish imported from perfectly good habitats simply to
> thrill anglers?
> What could be worse than the aggressive fish that dominate their
> own
> environments being imported here so they can be excitement for
> someone catching a fish
> on rod and reel? Are the disease any worse from fish who are
> barely hanging
> on compared to fish who dominate their environments? We have
> accepted so many
> exotics against our will, exotics who didn't need our help how can
> we not
> allow our selves to help relatively benign exotics who need our
> help
> desperately? If our waters are going to be a mishmash of exotics
> why shouldn't a few of
> those exotics be in need of a home instead of just expanding their
> already
> huge and healthy range? I've got on my asbestos suit so fire away
> dudes!
>
>
> Michael Hissom
> aurea mediocritas
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/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
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