Pleco's wreaking havoc in South Florida Lakes

[ThePetShack]

This article below is a recent report about Pleco's wreaking havoc in Southern Florida.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sidesho...-south-florida-lakes-182812663.html#more-4190

To anyone who is an aquarium enthusiast. It is illegal and very detrimental to the an environment to release your aquarium fish into a local stream. If this is a reoccurring incident the US Department of Agriculture can and will ban the trade of exotic fish into the United States. If I recall correctly two years ago they tried to pass a bill that would stop exotic trade of animals and fish. Please consider the effects of dumping non-native animals into the environment. It not only effects the native life but it will effect your life too. Spread the word and stop illegal dumping of non-native fish.

I would like to know where everyone else stands on this matter and how we can prevent it. Also if you disagree.

 

[Callmeconfused]

Yikes, just read the link.
I agree 100 percent! I think a saying my teachers were always fond of is appropriate here, "A few bad eggs will spoil it for everyone." When people realize that the fish they bought have outgrown their tank and they can't/won't upgrade, they just dump them to make room for something else. The sad part is that most of the time, the fish stores are all too happy to take the oversized/unwanted critters off of your hands. I had a couple hundred Briggs in a 55 gallon tank after I let a clutch of eggs hatch (my own fault/lack of understanding). I gave them away a few at a time, shipped some to individuals who wanteds some, and gave the rest to my LFS who gave me a store credit in return. I never once thought about dumping them in a pond. Especially with all the regulations on them now.

 

[kingearwig]

While I agree with you also. It seems to me that "a few bad eggs ruining it for everyone else" is just such an antiquated idea. Actually I bet that banning exotics may prevent some of these releases, but it would increase crime because I know that some of us would still find a way to obtain and keep exotic creatures.

 

[user_name]

I think a permit would be acceptable for fish that can wreak havoc like this. If you're a responsible fish keeper than it's not a big deal, you'll be willing to go get the papers neccessary for keeping them. Also, fines for releasing into the wild should be more extreme.

 

[Callmeconfused]

I think a permit would be acceptable for fish that can wreak havoc like this. If you're a responsible fish keeper than it's not a big deal, you'll be willing to go get the papers neccessary for keeping them. Also, fines for releasing into the wild should be more extreme.

+1

 

[excuzzzeme]

This isn't news as we have had many discussions in the past several years about it. We have also let our feelings be known about people that don't abide by the law and are ruining it for the rest of us. If you need to ask that question here, then maybe this isn't the right place for you since the TOS states that we will abide by our local laws and will not condone others that won't. This even extends to the plant trade as well.

I think that if you want to know where everyone stands, you need room for over 50,000 replies. If you want to have a discussion that is different but to ask where everyone stands is inflammatory at the least because you already assume some of us feel differently. Those that won't abide by the TOS are usually banned.

Many of our members are also vendors as well as moderators and often update us on some rules changes. If we violate them, they do remind us, if we persist we get banned, easy as that.