Re: [RML] Illegal Imports

Bruce Hansen (bhansen at ozemail.com.au)
Sun, 13 Sep 1998 18:39:16 +1000

Forgetting temporarily about the disease aspects, I find it a bit hard to
compare a CITES listed endangered species like Arapaima gigas that grows to
? 12 feet long with a PNG rainbowfish. A fish like that is unlikely to even
survive in anything but a huge tank and a "bonsaied" fish is hardly a good
advertisement for the hobby and is wasted in private hands when probably
every specimen should be considered as a potentially important part of the
dwindling gene pool in it's natural environment. As far as I know they are
not being aquacultured and "tagged" like the Asian osteoglossids (but I must
admit our US members are closer to the action and may be able to inform us
more)

I would much rather continue to negotiate an acceptable protocol for the
consideration of new species for the import list (whether they come from PNG
or elsewhere) in an atmosphere not clouded by impending prosecutions against
"my side of the fence"

Regards,
Bruce.

Bruce Hansen, A.N.G.F.A., Advancing Australian Aquatics.

Bruce Hansen, ANGFA, caring for our aquatic ecosystems.

Please visit us at http://www.ozemail.com.au/~fisher/angfa.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: Merlin <merlin at orac.net.au>
To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au <rainbowfish at pcug.org.au>
Date: Sunday, 13 September 1998 11:37
Subject: Re: [RML] Illegal Imports

>At 08:29 13/09/98 +1000, Doc wrote:
>>Sorry to raise an old chestnut -
>>
>>It probably comes as no surprise to many Australians on this list that
>>potentially dangerous and protected species are still being smuggled into
>>this country.
>
>It certainly comes as no surprise to me :)
>
>>It is hard to understand why anyone would want to take the risk of
>>introducing diseases dangerous to the whole aquaculture and aquarium
>>industries when the fish involved are unlikely to ever be able to be bred
>>here. The space needed to raise and breed tropical giants like the
>>Osteoglossids (Arrowanas and Arapaimas), catfish like Pseudoplatystomas
and
>>Cichlids such as Boulengerochromis is not easy to disguise .
>
>snip
>
>I guess what is and what is not smuggled lies in the eye of the beholder.
>Surely these same smugglers would frown at the illegal introduction of New
>Guinea Rainbowfish and yet welcome the odd Arrowana...Or perhaps they could
>care less either way!
>
>I seriously doubt whether diseases enter into their argument as many a
>Rainbowfish enthusiast would argue that bows from NG do not bring in
>unwelcome diseases.
>
>I think we should be very careful about throwing stones at any particular
>hobbyist (unless of course one can profess to be squeaky clean) <g>
>
>Cheers
>Merlin
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>merlin at orac.net.au
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>
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>