Re: NANFA-- Any Native Fish people in the Philadelphia/Delaware

EELReprah_at_aol.com
Thu, 24 Oct 2002 22:57:22 EDT

In a message dated 10/24/02 5:30:34 PM, ricksanders_at_comcast.net writes:

<<
I am wondering if there are any people in the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley
area that are involved with observing or capturing native fishes that I might
be able to hook up with to do some trips to local areas to see what there is
to find.

I look forward to hearing from you guys soon!
>>

Rick,
I live in Media. I have not collected locally for about 20 years. I have
collected in New Jersey and Ohio in recent years with NANFA sponsored
excursions. I also do stream monitoring (Ridley creek) of water quality and
observed fishes (visual only, not caught). While I keep some native fishes I
have some reservations about collecting for keeping purposes. Those
reservations are based on perceptions that may not be true. First, it is
illegal, technically, to keep native fishes in an aquarium. It is legal to
catch bait fish for angling purposes with a fishing license. All mine have
been purchased from breeders/hatcheries. That is not a prohibition to
catching and keeping, but a concern. Second, catching fish in the local
creeks provides fish that are accustomed to high oxygen content water, not
easy to provide in an aquarium. Apart from the above concerns and if we can
get a collecting permit (in addition to a fishing license) as we did in New
Jersey two years ago, I would be interested. I had no concerns collecting in
the Amazon region of Peru last summer.

Lee Harper
Media, PA
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