><< This kind of picks at a question I have had. I have seen several letters
> that imply (or outright state) that people are catching wild native fish
> for the sole purpose of feeding them to their captive fish. I don't know
> that I like this idea. There are plenty of places to buy feeder fish that
> are inexpensive and you can even grow your own. How do the rest of you feel
> about this practice? I mean on one hand we are working to restore fishes
> and on the other we have people taking them out for feeders. Seems
> contradictory to me.
> >>
>As long as they are catching fish that are in great abundance I don't see a
>problem. No worse than catching minnows for bait.
What a few hobbyists are doing is probably minor compared to the
super-efficient commercial fisheries harvesting huge numbers of fishes for
fertilizer and fish meal for us and our pets, with corresponding by-catch
waste and long-term effects on the age structure and reproductive health of
the species. Some of these species are long-lived and slow to
mature. Hey, there's a sale on cod at the Red Lobster. Don't worry that
they're smaller than they were last year-- they taste just as good! (the
real voice of blissful ignorance)
-- Jay DeLong Olympia, WA
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