Re: NANFA-L-- Fw: NAS Species Alert - Piaractus brachypomus


Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Fw: NAS Species Alert - Piaractus brachypomus
Moontanman-in-aol.com
Date: Thu Nov 04 2004 - 11:44:36 CST


In a message dated 11/4/04 12:24:39 PM Eastern Standard Time,
dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu writes:

> Since a majority of people who keep fish in their homes are not
> knowledgable and responsible, and many vendors also fit this description, general
> regulations are required. The various states have laws and regulations that make
> it illegal for anyone to introduce aquatic life to a body of water within the
> state without permission and coordination from the relevant conservation
> agency. Those are good regulations, and they cover even animals from local
> populations. Though you would never release a fish you had, most members of the
> general public would do so, thinking doing so was better than killing it.
> Education and regulation is the only way to curtail this. We can be a part of
> both.
>
>

I am perfectly comfortable with reasonable laws, I have no problem with laws
forbidding the release of aquarium fish. What I do have a problem with is
aquarium hobby getting the lions share of the blame for exotic release and habitat
destruction when the reality is that most of the exotic problem is the
release of fish for sport fishing or food fish. I am not worried about laws
forbidding the release of fish. I am worried about laws forbidding the keeping of
fish. Florida has not backed off by any means it's just not true to say that
exotics have taken over or done extreme measurable harm to the Florida fish
population over all. In small areas this might be so but to suggest that over half of
Florida's fish are exotic is an exaggeration of the facts. such misleading
statements could result in very unfair laws being passed. That is what I am
trying to stop. Hearing that over half of Florida's fish species is exotic makes
you think that exotics have taken over the entire state and are crowding out
the native population when in reality nothing could be further from the truth.
Lots of exotic species but only in small areas doesn't bring the same disaster
scenario to mind but is much more accurate the more accurate representation
of the problem might not look as good in print is less likely to bring about a
knee jerk reaction that would be bad for us all. Are you saying that live
bearers like mollies and platies have taken up habitats in mountain streams in the
rocky mountains? How extensive is are these populations?

moon

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: Fri Dec 31 2004 - 12:42:45 CST