We humans must gradually minimize and finally close the business of capturing domestic pets from the wild. We must instead concentrate on the breeding of these wonderful animals to create an adequite supply for aquarists. If we as aquarists continue to fail in seeing the trouble with stealing from the natural world without giving back, then our children can never see the beauty that we do in this heartless world of indiference to the warnings of nature. Buy captive-bred!
Human Indiference and Fish
- Thread starter walrusman
- Start date
For the most part I agree with you. On the other hand Brazil is starting to limit harvest towards the goal of sustainability. By maintaining a sustainable harvest of a profitable species and making sure that the local population profits from that harvest it places a direct monetary value to the locals for maintaining the species.
This has started to become apparent in some SW harvest areas but is most apparent with game animals in some countries in Africa. The Wildfire program ensures that each animal taken by trophy hunters directly puts money in the pockets of the locals and also pays for things like clinics, wells, and schools. In such economically depressed areas this is very important. In areas using this management model populations of game animals and associated non-game species have held their own or actually increased, while in areas managed in a more traditional gamepark manner have continued to be decreased by poaching. In Wildfire areas the locals turn in poachers from outside because every animal taken by the poachers costs them money personally. Meat poaching is also down because the value of the animal is higher than the value of the meat.
The parralel in areas like Brazil is that if the locals see no personal long term living coming out of an area they feel they might as well log it and grow a few short term crops, far more species of fish are lost to habitat destruction than to over harvest for the pet trade. There are only a few fish populations overstressed by aquarium trade harvests and even those are more threatened by logging, farming, and mining, than by the trade.
This has started to become apparent in some SW harvest areas but is most apparent with game animals in some countries in Africa. The Wildfire program ensures that each animal taken by trophy hunters directly puts money in the pockets of the locals and also pays for things like clinics, wells, and schools. In such economically depressed areas this is very important. In areas using this management model populations of game animals and associated non-game species have held their own or actually increased, while in areas managed in a more traditional gamepark manner have continued to be decreased by poaching. In Wildfire areas the locals turn in poachers from outside because every animal taken by the poachers costs them money personally. Meat poaching is also down because the value of the animal is higher than the value of the meat.
The parralel in areas like Brazil is that if the locals see no personal long term living coming out of an area they feel they might as well log it and grow a few short term crops, far more species of fish are lost to habitat destruction than to over harvest for the pet trade. There are only a few fish populations overstressed by aquarium trade harvests and even those are more threatened by logging, farming, and mining, than by the trade.
Good point.
Sometimes, unless a value (monetary or otherwise) is put onto a resource, its plight is often ignored. Eg recreational fishermen are sometimes blamed for diminished fish stock, however, in most fisheries, the amount of fish they take is miniscule compared to the netters and longliners. The overharvesting by the professionals and resultant disapearance of fish stocks would probaly never come to light until sportfishers pointed it out and pushed for stock protection.
Likewise, I think the collection of most aquarium fish puts a value on them, and hence encourages the protection of the fish and their habitat. Sure, collection for the aquarium trade does impact on fish numbers, which is why better management by governments are needed. I think in most cases, destruction of habitat is the main threat to fish stock.
Some fish don't breed in captivity, some freshwater fish and pretty much every marine fish. So your idea is impossible I'm afraid.
And some fish are hormone bred and inferior to their wild counterparts.
And some fish are hormone bred and inferior to their wild counterparts.
i was just wondering. say for example, with all the problems theyve been having with habitat etc, L46 zebra plecos became "extinct" in the wild. would it be feasable to release our tank bred ones, or at least kept in tank ones into the wild to reintroduce them?
Actually the Brazilian government banned export to prevent over harvesting and they are not extinct in the wild (yet). The population is threatenened by poaching but even more so by logging ang one article mentioned stream destruction by poorly regulated gold mining as a greater threat.
yea i heard that the gold mining causes problems. and theres a few metal smelting places there that destroys the surrounding area.
on the poaching note, isnt that the reason asian arowanas all have to be farm bred now, so farming for the aquarium trade must have some great impact
on the poaching note, isnt that the reason asian arowanas all have to be farm bred now, so farming for the aquarium trade must have some great impact
Steps are being made every year in breeding species in captivity. I'm sure in time anything can be triggered to breed naturaly in captivity (aka no hormones) if people take the time to figure out what it takes. How ever it might be awhile before the cost comes down to the point where people will bother to do it.
As for marine fish i remember when clown fish breedings were reason enough for parties, now its almost as common place for the breeders as convict spawnings. I've heard that flame angels have been bred in hawaii (not sure if they made it past larval stage yet). Mono's have been spawned by hobbyist in hawaii.
Habitat destructs is part of the problem as is over exploitation from greed. As soon as a value is put on something people try to make the most of it because of greed or ignorance of the results. I've seen it with reptiles and people are starting to see it with fish.
Removing a single fish removes all of the potential future offspring from the wild as well. So if something is prolific it could yield up to thousands of offspring over the period of that fishes life removed. As well as the offsprings offspring ect.
Before people start spouting that most will die anyway, it only takes three survivors out of a spawn to increase the population numbers.
Along with destruction comes alterations, namely dams. Brazil has been adding dams to rivers for years and that intereferes with migration during spawning season. Some areas are reporting lower numbers of large predatory catfish (commonly used as food fish) because the fish cant reach their spawning areas. The same thing has been occuring with some of the larger barb species in south east asia.
People do need to look at the larger picture and think before they purchase. Not only are some fish hard to breed some are damn near impossible to keep alive for the average hobbyist. There are some people that have the space to properly raise things or the equipment to do it right but the average hobbyist (which probably outnumbers the suitable homes many times over) shouldnt justify purchasing them.
Well for the time being i'll hop of my soap box, this is an interesting thread since it hasnt turned to a flame fest and its good to talk about things that will affect the hobby sooner or later.
A lot of good points have been raised, i'm curious to see how this progresses.
Jason
