What do you feel is your moral obligating with

[Brian Ferriera]

If you found yourself with a fish or for that matter any animal who's number suddenly or not so suddenly became low and the creature was considered endangered or threatened. Would you feel morally obligated to start breeding that animal?
Brian

 

[NeonJulie]

I'd say it's worth a try, if I didn't require a lot of unexpected expense. IMO, the REAL moral obligations here are to the front end industry, the fish collectors, and really; I would think while it's nice for an aquarium owner to attempt, I would say some type of organization, zoological aquarium, university or other scientific and conservation professionals should really step in and attempt to captive breed.

 

[Brian Ferriera]

I'd say it's worth a try, if I didn't require a lot of unexpected expense. IMO, the REAL moral obligations here are to the front end industry, the fish collectors, and really; I would think while it's nice for an aquarium owner to attempt, I would say some type of organization, zoological aquarium, university or other scientific and conservation professionals should really step in and attempt to captive breed.

But Zoos and institutions only have so much room and for that matter money to house and breed animals we cant really on them to breed every thing out theirs its impossible.
Brian

 

[Siren]

I don't think I am morally obligated to go breeding them haphazardly. I'll leave major breeding projects to the experts at the department of natural resorces and competant rehab facilities. Look at the California Condor, they had the ability to bring them back from two pairs of birds. I'd only be morally obligated if I was the sole cause of their destruction. And a lecture about me driving a car that emits fumes or living in a wooden house built in the woods being the cause of the annihilation of an entire species would be a tautology. In those cases, I am no more the cause than anyone else, so why would the moral obligation fall to me and me alone?

On the other hand, I would love to help if I could. If I had a species that was threatened, and if there was a captive breeding program, I wouldn't hesitate to loan my animals for the good of the species, but as for doing it myself...that would depend on what I was trying to breed and why...if it was just to breed them so they could be showcased in zoos and aquariums, probably not...to help a native population, I would probably try to do it as best I could....

 

[YoFishboy]

I am actually in the process of setting up more breeding tanks to breed threatened/endangered species, such as Lake Victorian and Madagascar cichlids....both challenging and rewarding!

 

[wataugachicken]

if had something like a galaxy rasbora or zebra plecos i would definitely feel obligated (in a good, helpful way) to breed my fish if they were quality specimens. getting the fish to reproduce in captivity and become more widely available to hobbyists can allow the natural populations to reproduce without being overfished. however, if i did not have plans to breed i would not buy them and remove them from the potential gene pool.