Government in the hobby?

Mother nature can also be a large contributor that can't be controlled. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, it caused the release of many exotic species. This is something that the average hobbyist and many commercial agents cannot factor in. Trying to devise a risk assessment that is workable is nearly an exercise in futility. For those that survived Katrina, total numbers are unknown and you can be sure they are propagating out in the wild. Minimizing the risk through legislation just isn't feasible. Wish it were that simple.

At the end of the day, laws are made to control that which we refuse to, or are unable to, control on our own.
 
jasonG75 said:
I know here in Tennessee there are big problems with SnakeHeads, and in Arkansas. This is because they were real cool to get and once they got to big they were dumped at the local lake.
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Exactly what species of Snakehead? I'll bet it's Channa argus, the Northern Snakehead. I can honestly say that having kept fish since '68 and having worked in the hobby since '81 that I have never, EVER seen a Northern Snakehead for sale anywhere other than an Asian fish market. The aquarium trade is getting a bum rap on the Snakehead issue. The Snakehead ban is a perfect example of feel good legislation that restricts a right that most people don't care about because they don't choose to exercise it. The concept of "while I don't agree with what you do I will defend your right to do it" is sadly a lost concept in Amerika today.
 
When the greatest threat to a species is habitat destruction, claiming to be in favor of protecting the species and being opposed to captive maintenance are directly at odds with each other. Here are a few to think about: White Cloud Mountain Minnow, Zoogeneticus tequilae, Skiffia francesae, Xiphophorous couchianus. All species extirpated in the wild and currently still with us because of being kept in aquaria. The Blue throat Macaw has a current wild population of 100- 300 individuals, but due to collections back in the 70s, their ease of captive breeding and wonderful dispositions there are many thousands in captivity. The surest way to ensure the survival of a species is to make it somehow profitable in the US, either as food or friend.
 
SubRosa said:
The surest way to ensure the survival of a species is to make it somehow profitable in the US, either as food or friend.
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THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I SAID

goldfish, guppies, dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, leopard geckoes, and bettas are all pets that will never go extinct

cows, pigs, chickens, tilapia, bass, flounder, turkey, oyster, crab, lobster, and duck are all food animals that will never go extinct

Devils-Hole-pupfish_1.jpg

see this beautiful fish
it would sell very well in any pet store

this is the devils hole pupfish
and thanks to the restrictions put on collection and owning of this fish by the government it will never enter the safe haven of the fishkeeping hobby
where it will be bred in numbers that could fill Devil's hole and more places
 
Sorry, but it's not always as easy as dumping a bunch of captive bred fish back into a natural population.

Updated April 2011... The Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) was listed as endangered in 1967. This iridescent blue inch-long fish's only natural habitat is in the 93 degree waters of Devils Hole, located within the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, which is a detached unit of Death Valley National Park . Although the cavern is over 400 feet deep, the pupfish are believed to spawn exclusively on a shallow rock shelf just under the waters surface.

Since population surveys began, Devils Hole pupfish numbers have not exceed 553 individuals. For reasons that are still unclear, the population of Devils Hole pupfish began to decline in the mid 1990’s. By the fall of 2006, an estimated 38 fish remained in the wild and two refuge populations were lost.

Past research demonstrated that their population naturally cycles in Devils Hole with the largest number of pupfish occurring in the fall and declining over the winter. Although they spawn year round in the constant 93°F water, the adults that survive the winter produce most of the next generation of pupfish in the spring.

In 2006, the Service, National Park Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife launched an emergency effort to reverse the decline of the species. Working with partners as diverse as Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, they struggled to find innovative ways to reverse the population decline.

Suspecting that the food source may be a limiting factor, an artificial food was developed and an automatic feeder installed in Devils Hole. Originally a stop gap measure, this has proven to be so successful that it has remained in operation. Another critical decision was to limit access into Devils Hole and not remove pupfish for experimental or captive propagation until the fall population exceeds 200 fish and an increasing population trend is demonstrated for three years.

Biannual adult population surveys in April and in October continue. In addition to a surface count, cave divers enter Devils Hole and descend approximately 100 feet to count the number of adult pupfish. The average of these dives is used to determine the spring and fall population estimates.

Since 2007, the population estimates have started to swing upward. The fall 2008 count was estimated at 127 fish; the first time triple digits have been estimated since 2004, and the first three year upward trend since 1996. The average number of pupfish estimated in April 2011 is 104.

If you would like additional information about the Devils Hole pupfish and recovery actions, please contact the Las Vegas field office at 702-515-5230
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It's not like government agencies are just ignoring the option, but there are other factors that need to be monitored. I would love for more experienced people in the hobby to be offered opportunities to assist in such a program but it is not something, I'm sure, that can just be applied across the board.
 
We have been very lucky in the U.S. so far with regulations and the pet trade. Yes there are some species that are "Black listed" by the Federal and State governments that would make popular aquarium pets but their threats to the ecosystem or their endangered species status have been well researched and validated.

It's not as simple as saying "This fish can't survive the winter here". Someone in the sciences actually has to sit down and take the time to study whether this statement is or is not true. This would create a "White List" of approved species. Considering the numbers of fish species in the hobby today and the utter lack of studies on these fish for this reason the switching from a "Black List" system to a "White List" system would be devastating to the hobby. A good example would be Australia which uses a white list system and only allows several hundred species to be imported into the country with a few more added each year. Many fish we find common are nonexistant in the Australian hobby.

While many of us are hobbyists and I would assume take care that our fish are never introduced into the wild many people aren't. Invasive introductions occur everywhere. There are platies in rivers in India and swordtails in Madagascar. You can find all different types of livebearers, tetras, and cichlids in the streams on Oahu in Hawaii (an island that had only three species of freshwater fish 100 years ago (all gobies)).

Basically what I am saying is that many people do stupid things because they are ignorant and will hurt the ecosystem and the hobby. But we should be thankful for what we have as it could be much worse.

Andy
 
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