Hope and Change...pffft
First they assess whether there is a risk, then they decide there IS a risk, then they incrementally ban which species can be brought into the country. Banning as already begun (snakeheads).
It is not likely that all imported fish will be banned at once, just fish which are voracious predators, then ones which are prolific breeders, then fish with no natural predators in this country, then fish with tails, with gills, two eyes... you see where this is going. It's kind of like the gun control movement. First just the assault weapons, then the semi autos then the cheap saturday night specials.... its all an incremental step.
Truth is that if they banned the importation of all fish into this country they couldnt control invasive species. There are plenty of people who would breed fish that could still be released into the wild.
Or how about if a law was passed stating that we could only keep NATIVE species. So some kid goes to the LFS and buys some local native fish, you pick the species. Then they breed, he sells a few fry, gives a few away, and before you know it that local fish, has moved throughout the country. Suppose its a fish from the cold north east, which were talking about. Eventually the specimines make there way to florida or Texas, and get released. Are there natural predators for these fish in the local waters of the warmer parts of the country-- not likely. Or dont you think a cold water fish bwould e able to outcompete warm water fish after a very cold winter.
The problem is that the horse out of the barn already, and no matter what restrictions they come up with really will not solve the problem
