does the law stop you from buying fish?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
this is how i see it... if you are willing to risk your career, life and whatever you got... then go get something illegal (hopefully you won't get caught). i had some fellow classmates who are now unemployed just because of some things they did in the past. In our line of work one mistake or a bad record in your file takes away our license. Basically, our whole career and life. when i was younger i would do anything, but choose wisely, you might regret doing it when you get more matured and learn it the hard way. :)
 
There is usually a price to be paid for having any kind of record for any illegal activity. Often it is well into your future that the price is extracted in the form of not being able to get promotions, adopt a child, or just get a better job. When I was much younger I didn't pay any attention to that and have paid a severe price.

Do whatever you want but be prepared.
 
i done many illegal things in my younger day but was smart enough not to be caught. now i'm smart enough not to do that many stupid things.

yesi have a problem with growing up, spoils all the fun.

brakken
 
Cops are everywere,but we speed,drink and drive,dont use seatbelts,violate weapons laws,steal and use drugs...
If anyone goes down for a fish and im not sayint it doesn't happen ,its just another bad roll of the dice,chasing fate...
 
Just to add my two cents (without reading each and every comment posted)....

I see alot of "they won't knock at your door" and "they don't know the difference in fish" type comments. Both are untrue. I say this from first hand experince in the matter. The guys who are on staff for the US gov't are fish nuts just like most of us on this forum. Most could tell you more about your own fish than you could.

I will also say that they are aware of a vast majority of fish being kept against the law. Do they act on it? No, of course not. Agencies like Fish and Wildlife are after bigger fish (no pun intended).

I promise you this, though. They read forums, are talking with shops and have a very good feel for what is out there.

As for what price is to be paid, it varies by the law you have broken. There have been everything from single animal grabs and a fine to full confiscations and jail time. I've also seen entire houses get taken just due to the number of fish involved.

If you have a prohibited fish, it's not that hard to get a permit for them. If it is a species you can't even get a permit for, maybe you should consider why that is. If you think that you are helping the species by keeping them, you are arrogent, self centered and contributing to the reason why they are endangered. Leave the population managment of endangered animals to people who have the money and the knowledge to actually do it.

My apologies for turning my $.02 into a $1.50.
Just be smart about it.
 
The one problem I see with the "wildlife officials patrol this site" argument is that Ive noticed there are way too many people who come on here and say they have this and that just to get a :headbang2 or a :thumbsup: when really all theyve got is a betta,or a goldfish tank,and maybe an oscar they purchased from walmart and stuck in a 55.

You never see pics from these people,but you also never see people who really do own the SH and asian aros illegally posting pics of their setups either, so it seems to me that it would be next to impossible fo any officials patrolling this site to weed out the ones telling tall tales from the ones trying to cover their butts

In addition, if they are actually wasting money by having officials patrol fish forums just to catch a measly few aquarists, I would have to stop and ponder where that money is coming from.......

In the end,I do not own any illegal fish,but I cant promise that if I saw a SH or an asian aro for sale in an lfs,resteraunt,or anywhere else for that matter that I wouldnt at least stop to think about if I had the tankspace or not,and I may make myself a purchase that day should the oppurtunity ever come along.

I would never post that I had it,but like I say I really dont feel that just posting "Hey I got me a new SH!!" is gonna get you caught,you would really almost have to be posting pics of your setup,and probably on more than one occasion.

At one point I kinda wanted some P's,but they are illegal in Cali....I decided after finding out more about the P's and their personality,or lack thereof, that I didnt actually want them after all.... but had I not changed my mind I would have gone to oregon or nevada and got myself some P's.

Thanks for letting me rant,thats were I stand on the subject.
 
Yup, not worth the risk.
 
Cops are not going to do anything. It’s not there job to keep track of fish or retiles. That job belongs to fish and game and some times animal control. If a cop came to your house and wanted to give you a hard time about your fish, he would dispatch a fish and game officer to your location to investigate.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom