Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Fw: NAS Species Alert - Piaractus brachypomus
dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
Date: Thu Nov 04 2004 - 10:01:18 CST
Moon,-in-the risk of offending you, I do not think that referring to some of the most endangered habitats in the U.S. (small, isolated springs and pools) as unimportant, or in trying to minimize the perception of the exotic problem, you are doing the aquarium trade and hobby any good. When the industry that causes a problem (all those livebearers in Florida and the SW, all those catfish in Florida, and on and on came from aquarium fish industry and hobbyists ) attempts to deny, the only thing it accomplishes is to engender distrust from regulators and the public. What kind of reputation does the oil industry enjoy as an environmental steward? Could its reputation be better? Yes, the introduction of exotics to Florida is an ecological disaster, whether you agree or not. Considerably more than half the species of fishes in the state are exotics.
The San Antonio R. in Texas is loaded with fish from the aquarium trade, including loracoriids, firemouth cichlids, and on and on and on. The endemic fish populations of the very remote Cuatro Cienegas in Mexico (I know, Mexico is not part of the U.S., but this trade is international) has been invaded by several exotics originating in the aquarium trade, to the detriment of the entire fauna.
We need to work to police ourselves, and we need to accept the regulation that is designed to help solve this problem.
Dave
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
"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"
----- Original Message -----
From: Moontanman-in-aol.com
Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2004 11:43 pm
Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Fw: NAS Species Alert - Piaractus brachypomus
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: Fri Dec 31 2004 - 12:42:45 CST