It is a pleasant change to see an intelligent post on the fish
importation issue into Australia. I for one fully agree and support
you. I was also not surprised by the typical negative response it drew
from most people. When are people going to stop pointing the finger at
someone else and take some responsibility? Most of the objections that
I've read state that such and such is a bigger problem relative to what's
in my own backyard so go pick on them. That's a pile of crap as far as
I'm concerned. For example, it has been pointed out how inadequate the
present two week quaranteen period is for incoming fish. Two weeks is
far better than none at all. Everyone was able to see that two weeks is
not adequate to pick up many diseases, but did anyone suggest that we
should increase this time? No, we were two busy justifying ourselves
based on the inadequacy of others actions. Why is it that we can all see
the problem in other aspects of the fish hobby rather than your own? Why
don't we stop bitching and moaning and take some positive action for a
change? Why don't we admit our problems and suggest steps to remedy
them? New diseases (such as the one attaching elm trees) and pest
organisms are regularly turning up (European wasps). How is this
happening? Illegal imports is a pretty likely place to start. And the
issue as to whether a private fishkeeper is less likely to pass on
disease than a fish farm is irrelevant. For example, tubifex worms are
the primary carrier of whirling disease in the US that is presently
wiping out wild populations of rainbow trout. How do we know that some
fish won't act as a carrier and bring the disease to Oz? Wouldn't it be
funny if that disease has serious impacts to Australian rainbowfish. I
bet that would change a couple of people's attitudes. Do we wait until
we have an epidemic to ban everything or do we act responsibly to prevent
it?
> comment on the changes that were being proposed. One of the great
> surprises of this was the sheer number of diseases that Australia is free
> from and the degree of risk that each represents. Many, if not most of
> these are capable of being transferred in both eggs and live fish. Of the
> egg transmitted diseases there are some very nasty little viruses out
> there that we do not want.
Only those who know the most release how little we actually do know.
Unfortunately Peter Hughes, I don't think anyone really wants to listen
to either of us as most falls on deaf ears. Just keep banging your head
into that brick wall and your head will be the first to crack.
Tootles
Peter Unmack