>How does everyone feel about the point raised about the risk posed to local
fishes by the availability in most larger cities now of commercially bred
Rainbowfishes from other states as well other countries ( Celebes, PNG,
Madagascar) when all of these species are potentially at risk of "humane
liberation" into our local waterways and disease-wise as well as genetically
could very well cause serious problems for our local fishes
>and the resulting bad publicity could be disastrous for the hobby.
>
Just on this "local waterways" point - here (Canberra ACT) our water
temperature at the moment isn't a lot above freezing - it might be 5 or 10
degrees Celsius at the surface during the day, the point is moot as far as
tropical fish species are concerned - they'd die in fairly short order
anyway. So in our local waterways introduction of tropical species, to
become feral pests, is not an issue. They could still introduce diseases,
granted! Besides, they'd have to compete with the Gambusia, Weather
Loaches, Redfin, Carp, Trout, as well as the translocated native species.
(NB: only the Weather Loach is an aquarium species of those common ferals
mentioned - and there is circumstancial evidence to suggest that they were
introduced by anglers - and the same source (Dr Brian Pratt, 1995 ANGFA
Conference) said that the ACT may have been the original release point).
I acknowledge that feral aquarium species are a problem in other parts of
Australia.
Regards, Andrew Boyd
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Andrew Boyd - andrew at pcug.org.au - http://www.pcug.org.au/~andrew
Evolution takes no prisoners....
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