keeping illegal fish

nicholasdances

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 25, 2010
277
1
0
NEW LONDON COUNTY CT
I was wondering how other people on here felt about fellow fishkeepers that have illegal fish? is it a victimless crime to own a fish that couldn't survive in the wild where you live anyways? how common are illegal fish in the hobby?

and just for the record I DO NOT own any illegal fish but at the same time I don't know if I think it's all that big of a deal. especially owning a tropical fish where I live in the northeast. I see it as a victimless crime.
hope the mods don't close this
 

Morganj2

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 26, 2009
171
0
0
Ohio
if its illegal its illegal bottom line, read up on snakeheads in america, or look at the inavise species list in florida, that is why illegal fish are illegal
 

redtailcatfreak

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 15, 2011
926
3
16
Where the gators are
Id say in not the governments Buisness what type of fish you have. As long as you dont release it when you dont want it anymore. And im sure theres still alot of people who have snakeheads here. How many people are just gonna kill there fish theyve kept for years just because one day the gov. put a ban on them.
 

Spiritofthesoul

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 3, 2010
4,692
17
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Singapore
Actually I don't think a fish which couldn't survive in the wild where you live is typically considered an illegal fish
[with a few exceptions (reason 1)]

Generally I can only consider 2 main reasons why certain type of fish are illegal in where you live.

1. Extinction, some of them are at the brisk of extinction and laws are passed to give those species a higher chance of survival in the wild by ensuring none (few) of them are caught for aquarium trades

2. Quite the opposite. Those fish would spread like wildfires once they are release in the wild. They would breed quickly and upset the natural balance of that ecosystem, threatening the survival of the local species. A good example would be the Snakehead.
Hence a fish which isn't driven to the point of extinction and would not survive in local waters generally isn't illegal since even if you release them. They would just die and rot/get eaten and would have little impact on the ecosystem. There are also a few various reason why certain fishes are illegal but I won't go into them.
 

Chaz88

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 21, 2010
695
0
16
Iowa
Kind of depends on why it is illegal. If it is endangered and taken from the natural habitat I have a problem with it. If it poses no threat to the habitat of the place it is being kept and is illegal because of unfounded scare tactic legislation I don't think it is that big of a deal. Illegaly keeping native fish bothers me becase of how many people I know that eventualy put them back into nature.
 

SimonL

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 23, 2005
3,213
9
68
Ontario, Canada
Id say in not the governments Buisness what type of fish you have. As long as you dont release it when you dont want it anymore. And im sure theres still alot of people who have snakeheads here. How many people are just gonna kill there fish theyve kept for years just because one day the gov. put a ban on them.
It is the government's business if those fish could escape and destroy wild indigenous populations. The problem is people do release them when they don't want them anymore.
 

nicholasdances

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 25, 2010
277
1
0
NEW LONDON COUNTY CT
obviously i understand why alot of fish are illegal in warmer places. BUT I LIVE IN CT. the lakes here get covered with 3 feet of ice. please someone explain to me what a piranha or giant snakehead could do if released in lakes up here. answer....NOTHING.
 

Spiritofthesoul

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 3, 2010
4,692
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31
Singapore
Then it would be classified as other various reason, as I have stated.
You should call up the local government
 

nicholasdances

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 25, 2010
277
1
0
NEW LONDON COUNTY CT
i by no means am saying ALL FISH SHOULD BE LEGAL EVERYWHERE. i actually believe that warmer states should be more strict about fish that get huge like pacu and rtc(permits should be required). but in the northeast it IS a victimless crime to have tropical species that couldn't possibly be an invasive species.
and yes i agree endangered species shouldn't be kept UNLESS they are farm bred.
 
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