My answer to all of this goes back to that 1970's T.V. Commercial that had
the Indian in the canoe... stopping on the banks and seeing someone
carelessly throw trash out their car window! I think that commercial said
it best.. "PEOPLE START LITTER.. PEOPLE CAN STOP IT!".. Soooo.. No matter
who you are.. what group you belong to, etc... Just don't litter the very
object of your affection! Make sense???..
Rob C.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave McNeely" <dlmcneely_at_lunet.edu>
To: <nanfa-digest_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 8:53 AM
Subject: NANFA-- tarring with a broad brush
> I read with interest the emotional statements concerning littering by
fisherfolk and others. The crime of littering is abhorent, I think we all
agree. Even worse is the consequent loss of respect for environment on the
part of people who observe litter. I have even been guilty at times of
thinking that certain parts of our country were lost to those who degrade
them, rather than instead trying to think and focus my energy on what I
could do to help. Of course, I could only develop such thoughts in a place
where degradation has taken place. But I think that I am still doing what I
can, through education efforts and personal action, to help rather than
hinder.
>
> I doubt that making statements about the ethics of all members of a group
of environmental users, like those who fish for sport or food, especially
inflamatory statements that claim that "all fisherman are litterers" and
challenging an entire list to prove otherwise is helpful. I have known
aquarists over the years who were both litterers and who ignored the
conservation status of their wild quary. In fact, it is not uncommon for
some aquarist to seek out and collect specimens of threatened species for
the sake of having them in their own personal aquaria. Ditto scientists and
educators who sometimes take advantage of their positions and collectors
permits for personal purposes. Some unscrupulous collectors have even been
known to sell specimens they've collected, ostensibly for their own pets, to
others.
>
> It would be wrong of me to blame all aquarists, and all scientists and
educators for doing these things. Most do not. Most are very conscientious
about caring for the environment they live in and share with other life
forms. Most respect nature and do what they can to take care of it. All my
life I have known people who fish, some with a hook and line either for fish
to eat or to admire, some with seines and other collecting paraphenalia so
that they can take the specimens home or to a laboratory and put them in
aquaria. Most members of both groups (and there is large overlap), are
ethical. There are organizations of both groups that dedicate themselves to
conservation.
>
> We need to all work together for the good of nature, rather than attacking
each other willy-nilly because we observe some persons being slobs. What
about the slobs? We have several options, including attempts at education,
legal action, and so on. And however much I might admire the effort at
education that was related concerning a beer bottle, a litterer's backside,
and forced clean-up, I long ago gave up the idea that violence is the
answer. But I still admire Earth Firster's and Edward Abby for their ideas.
>
> Dave
>
> David L. McNeely, Ph.D.
> Professor of Biology
> P.O. Box 1500
> Langston University
> Langston, OK 73050
>
> Telephone (405) 466-6025
> Email dlmcneely_at_lunet.edu
> Web page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely
> FAX (405) 466-3271
>
> "Are we there yet?"
> Source unknown
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