I think you have noted that Peter Hughes and Peter Unmack's missives
suggested that we should exercise caution about importation because little
is known about the effects introduced species may have on the natives.
I have just been to the Ichs and Herps conference where a whole session
was devoted to introduced species in the United States (about 200 species)
and there were a number of papers which indicated that some of the species
hybridise in the wild. There is also a lot of evidence that introduced
fish frequently outcompete the natives and alter the habitat to the
detriment of all the fauna.
No one is saying that any one in the hobby would wilfully cross fish
and then release them into wild. But imported fish will reach the
remainder of the community sooner or later and who knows what will happen
then?
Puerile desire for just another pretty fish without a justifialble
reason doesn't seem to fit into the eleven objectives that you have
kindly typed up for all to see, does it?
Yours sincerely,
Walter Ivantsoff
(e-mail wivantso at rna.bio.mq.edu.au)
(phone 61 02 850 8167)
(fax 61 02 850 8245)
(and if all above fails write a letter to:
School of Biol Sciences, Macquarie University
N.S.W. 2109, Australia)