Re: NANFA-- biological bombs detonating everywhere

Jeffrey Fullerton (tcmajorr_at_westol.com)
Wed, 02 Aug 2000 23:24:22 -0400

Ty_Hall_at_eFunds.Com wrote:

> J.R. What you say makes sense and I appreciate hearing your comments. I'll
> jump up on your soap box and expound I what meant with my last post.
> Basically here are my issues; First, in California, you are not allowed to
> keep native fishes in a home aquarium, yet the DNR (not to point fingers)
> and others routinely stock Bass and Bluegills and other fish that are not
> native to that state.

Do as I say not as I do!

>
>
> Here's what I want. Sensible laws. I know....that's asking for a lot. I
> want to see laws that promote the easy keeping of native fishes and or
> fishes that cannot become invasive and make it difficult to keep fish that
> can become invasive. Additionally I would like to see laws that ensure that
> fish are treated humanely.

The only problem with this is that in a free society such a law would be
unenforceable. I remember reading in a book about keeping snakes (which was
written in the UK) about laws forbidding keepers from feeding live rodents to
snakes. Actually it is better to feed pre-killed prey - more humane and better
for the snake becuase less risk of being injured by a mouse or rat bite- yet as
the book stated - no self respecting keeper is going to let his snake starve if
it insists on only live prey - law or no law.

The reason we have so many idiotic laws and regulations that flat out defy common
sense is because every time an new issue comes up the bills start flying in the
legislatures and elected officials often are pressured to placate various groups
opposed to keeping things and never hear from responsible hobbyists. So what you
get are half assed attempts to cover all possibilities and an ever expanding
multitude of regulations - so prolific that even the people charged with
enforcing them often times don't even understand them or even know them at all!
The end result of all that is lots of obscure rules that no one knows about
unless they embark on a vigorous research effort, widespread cynicism caused by
rules that defy common sense and ultimately eroding respect for the idea of Law
itself.

> I'm sick of
> idiots causing problems for responsible pet owners and the environment. Pet
> ownership is a privilege and not a right.

The issue of people owning exotic fish and other pets is alot like gun (or even
car ownership). You have a constant struggle between those who uphold such rights
and those who would contest them for the sake of the greater good. The Ralph
Naders of the world are out to create a perfect and risk free society at any cost
- the ultimate cost is individual freedom and possibly the loss of beneficial
inovations that might make life better or even save lives not to mention possible
solutions to social and environmental problems that might never be realized in a
top-down authoritarian system.

Clean air and water and biological diversity are quality of life issues. But so
is individual freedom. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Plus the right
to prosper by one's own efforts. If people do not own their own accomplishments
they are little more than serfs or property of the State.

I hope we will never come to this.
Down through history a lot of people died to overturn feudal systems and
defending against those who thought they had the master plan for how the world
ought to be run. I think it is possible to have responsible ownership of fish and
other pets without turning the US into another Singapore.
Otherwise known as the country that outlawed chewing gum becuase a few
individuals were sticking in places where they shouldn't.

Jeff

/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org