Harry Knaub
"B.G. Granier" wrote:
> Well said Rob!
>
> As native fish fans, we need to focus on the enjoyment and therefore
> education of our fellows in the need for preservation instead of
> commerialization!
>
> BG
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Denkhaus, Robert <DenkhaR_at_Ci.Fort-Worth.TX.US>
> To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 3:46 PM
> Subject: RE: NANFA-- position on educational collecting
>
> > I have been sitting back watching this exchange and enjoying the give and
> > take. I've been tempted several times to chime in but have refrained
> > because I am working on an article for AC (Chris, you know what I am
> talking
> > about) and this discussion is in many ways at the heart of it. Without
> > making a future AC article too redundant, I do want to address one facet
> of
> > this issue (clipped below):
> >
> > > > As I suggested in my original post, perhaps we should encourage
> > > > more people to get some of their native fish from tank-raised
> > > > stocks. That will help to reduce the number of fish that are taken
> > > > from the wild....It's something I'd like to see reflected in
> > > > the NANFA mission statement.
> > >
> > > An honorable sentiment, to be sure. But would that lead to the
> > > commercialization of native fishes? And would
> > > commercialization be a good
> > > thing or a bad thing?
> >
> > In my humble opinion, Shireen is not seeing the big picture in her
> statement
> > (top portion). Yes, we should encourage the use of tank raised stock for
> > those that are simply interested in "collecting" fish like stamps and
> > baseball cards. If their goal is to be able to claim to having a
> "complete
> > set" of darters, shiners, sunfish, etc. then this will completely satisfy
> > them. But what about those folks that use the keeping of native fish as
> an
> > opportunity to get out and enjoy the natural world and to bring a piece of
> > it back home whether it is for education or recreation or even science?
> We
> > have all been to the zoo and seen lions but how many of us really know
> what
> > a lion's habitat looks like except through a television screen or on the
> > glossy pages of a magazine? We all know what a wood duck looks like and
> > what kind of area it might live in. But how many of us know how each
> > feather gleams with an array of colors under different light conditions?
> > There are certain levels of nature appreciation that can't be attained
> > completely in the field or in captivity but through a combination of the
> > two, a person can develop a certain oneness with nature.
> >
> > Personally, I consider myself one lucky SOB because in my job I get to see
> > animals, plants, and every part of nature in both situations. I want to
> > share these experiences with my children and the other children and adults
> > that I work with at the Nature Center. I can spout facts and figures all
> > day long about how beautiful and important these fish are and explain how
> > vitally important their habitat is or I can take them down to the stream
> and
> > let them immerse themselves in nature and gain their own personal
> connection
> > to it. If they take home a few red shiners or even a couple darters so
> that
> > they can watch them in their home aquarium, then maybe they will support
> the
> > next attempt to block a zoning change or something else that will result
> in
> > habitat loss. Modern society allows us relatively few opportunties to
> truly
> > become connected to nature the way that the old-timers could. Please
> don't
> > suggest taking this one opportunity from us.
> >
> > Regarding Chris' statement (lower portion), commercialization, in my mind,
> > would definitely be a bad thing. Although I remember a wildlife professor
> > explain to me that the best way to save a species was to place a dollar
> > value on it, commercialization carries way to much baggage. Consider the
> > "native" plant industry. Here in Texas, the native plant movement (which
> is
> > intimately tied to xeriscaping, a good thing) has resulted in the "taming"
> > of many of these wild plants. Once in the nursery it seems that even
> plants
> > are subject to domestication and the result is the production of
> cultivars.
> > This has also happened in the herp industry which started out the same way
> > as native fish. Today, it is possible to find virtually any color variant
> > (read: mutation) of a rat snake but try to find a good old fashioned
> normal
> > colored Texas rat snake. Commercialization of native fish will result in
> > the same situation..."I don't want that multi-colored longear sunfish,
> give
> > me that 'snow' longear" will be commonly heard.
> >
> > We can learn a lot from the mistakes that the herpers have made over the
> > years. They went commercial and now are being highly regulated in many
> > areas. They have either intentionally or acceidentally produced a huge
> > array of mutations which they now actually breed for. And, the herper who
> > really knows much about the natural habitat of the animals that they keep
> > are few and far between. However, those few herpers who still venture
> > afield in search of wild critters (oftentimes just for photography
> purposes)
> > are some of the best all-around naturalists that I know.
> >
> > Just my 2 cents worth.
> >
> > Rob Denkhaus
> > Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge
> >
> >
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/"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