While people are willing to pay the high price for these fish the practice
will continue and no tut-tutting from any hobby group will stop it. The
interesting point of these shipments is that these fish are very very large
and is almost impossible to bring them into this country without some
"Official" help. One of the species mentioned has been imported irregularly
for at least the last 5-10 years.
I guess the fishkeeping hobby is no different from mainstream life and if
anything that is illegal can make money then someone will engage in it. A
prime example is the blossoming "illegal" trade in tobacco. Due to the
increasing government tax being placed on tobacco products we now have
"bootlegger" suppliers because it has become very "profitable". Perhaps we
are entering another prohibition era :-)
Adrian.
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Adrian R. Tappin
"Home of the Rainbowfish"
http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm
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