> That covers a small fraction of the total area of Australia where
> aquaculture of ornamental species is likely to be pursued but still doesn't
> absolve us from trying to devise a reasonable set of rules, principles and
> guidelines no matter how pessimistic we are ;-)
I think that in most tropical areas where you can get upwards of several
inches of rainfall in a matter of hours outdoor ponds are not a good
idea for keeping non local native fish. Without building an elaborate
backup system to prevent overflow I'm not sure how one can get around
it. Although, I think it depends on your surrounding environment. I
think all we can do is make folks aware of the issues, try to get them to
think realistically about the risks. Obviously if you are prone to being
flooded at all it is a bad idea. If you live near a creek or distinct
drainage line it is also a bad idea. If you live right by the coast where
there are no connected drainages/permanant water sources then it probably
doesn't matter. The greatest thing to overcome is the "it won't happen
to me" syndrome. 100 years floods don't happen only every 100 years.
> Exactly the argument I wanted to hear.How stiff is stiff?
Well, if it were me, I'd first cut off their fingers, then toes, then
arms...... until there were five stumps left on their bodies (six for
guys, we could send the extra bits to Roy as he could do with a bit more).
> The more illegal
> they are the higher the desirability and the higher the price and the more
> likely to be smuggled in for profit and the greater the risk of disease.
Yes, but, the more they pay for them the more likely they are not to let
them go. And also, desirability has to eventually wane when the
penalites reach some critical threshold. How many folks do you know who
have kept pirana in the last few years in Australia? Would you keep an
illegal fish if the penalty was $100,000 or more? Would anyone on the
list keep any illegal fish if the penalty was that high? Does anyone know
what the current penalties are?
Finally, (with apologies to non Australian list members) :-) why don't the
rest of you intelligent people on the list say something instead of just
Bruce and I? Do you just not give a shit, are you too lazy to respond, or
scared that someone may disagree with you? I'm sure some of you have
perspectives, opinions, and information worth sharing. Makes me wonder
why the hell I bother trying to contribute when no one else does......
Tootles
Peter Unmack