Maybe Im thinking way too hard about this but...
Why collect a species from an area you know their existance hangs in the balance?
Can it really be that bleek?[/QUOTE]
It's cool. I think way to hard, because they will disappear even without collecting them. I am not getting rich or really making anything on this. I have my day job, I own my biz, I care about the things going on around the world that are driving native species to extinction. I love CA cichlids, I get to collect what I and others want. Everything is headed towards extinction. Human waste, industrial waste, agricultural waste, lack of rain, pesticides, exotic introductions. If not for many Collectors here, many will disappear. They are not on the redlist or considerd endagerd, but everything will eventually head there, not by mine or anyone elses collecting, the #'s we take and the amount of collecting trips is to small to create a significant impact, if anything that will keep them going longer. maybe take a trip someday to a river where CA cichlids are from and see for yourself. Plecos have been introduced into some systems in CA and Mexico, and everthing but the plecos have disappeared. Take a trip to the ACA one year, go to one of the seminars and see what is happening to all the habitats. When I was studying biology, every envirnmental impact study we did showed less and less in species population #'s, due to waste and exotic introductions. But whatever, going off thread subject. Take it how you wish.
