Please share your at risk in the wild freshwater fish

[jjohnwm]

Lots of common aquarium fish fall into that category. I believe that Redtailed Black Sharks were actually declared extinct in the wild at one point, although relict populations were later found.

Thanks to Covid, my local aquarium club hasn't met in over a year. The only other option to move grown-out fry from my three Goodeid species is one excellent local shop who takes them for credit. If it weren't for that place, I would be using endangered livebearers as feeders by this time!

I think a lot of folks are reticent to give specifics about this topic, for fear of repercussions from Big Brother. For example, take the RT Shark I mentioned above. Bred in Asia in huge quantities using hormones, then shipped out around the world, although critically endangered in the wild. Success story? Maybe...until some self-righteous busybody puts a different spin on it...

"A quantity of critically endangered tropical fish were seized by Customs officials after a tip was received that led them to an international animal trafficking operation. These animal dealers ship literally thousands of the ultra-rare Redtailed Black Shark and other equally endangered aquatic life across international borders every year...while scientists struggle to find tiny populations of these fish remaining in isolated pockets in the wild. PETA spokespersons call on governments to crack down on these unsustainable practices before these species disappear completely. They state that the legal loopholes allowing this to occur must be quickly shut."

wednesday13 might have an interesting take on this.

 

[Jexnell]

I used to have some C.A.R.E.S. list Amatitlania Nanolutae

 

[esoxlucius]

I believe, though don't quote me on this, that there are more pandas in zoos around the world than there are in the wild. Not just pandas either. Yet we have these do gooders trying to close zoos down! If this happened the panda, and others, would be finished off within decades, unless us humans began significantly superior conservation programmes than the ones we have in place currently.

This is a mirror image of the situation certain freshwater fish find themselves in. Really struggling in the wild yet thriving in aquariums worldwide. And yet another set of do gooders are on the verge of having a go at our hobby.

One day they may realise that us humans have destroyed that much habitat over the decades that the only chance of us holding on to certain species are by keeping animals in zoos, and fish in glass boxes!

 

[jjohnwm]

A surprising number of animals are in a similar situation.

The Scimitar-horned Oryx, an odd critter with an appearance almost as awkward as its name, was declared extinct in nature something like twenty years ago. There have been a couple of re-introduction attempts, but the vast bulk of the living specimens today (thought to be a greater number than ever lived in the wild in Africa) exist in Texas! They are a popular quarry on exotic hunting preserves, where they live more-or-less natural lives on huge ranches and are hunted for a fee by travelling tourist hunters with lots of money but limited ethical standards.

A few years back PETA set its sights on this practice and was lobbying to make this illegal. Their "logic" was that since the animals were so rare, i.e. nonexistent, in the wild, they must be protected and not hunted. With the stroke of a pen, these animals were transformed from a valuable, profitable commodity...to an expensive albatross, which took up space and resources like food and water but didn't turn a profit for landowners. In turn, the ranchers immediately began wholesale slaughter of the animals, in order to sell the meat and recoup at least some of their investment.

When confronted with this development, a PETA spokesperson stated that their stance was that it would be better for the animals to actually go completely extinct...than to allow people to shoot them on these exotic game ranches, which would impart monetary value to them and allow the ranching to continue! Is there an intelligence test that these idiots must take, with a maximum score beyond which they aren't allowed to become PETA directors???

I'm not sure what the current status of this fiasco is; I believe it has been overturned or reversed, as there are still some places raising these critters and offering hunts. I wonder how long it will take to build the population back up to where it was before PETA stuck its nose into the business of "protecting" these animals and almost doomed them all.

All that's needed is for them or some similar entity to set its sights on fishkeeping. Bingo! No more Goodeids, RT Black Sharks, Balas and many, many others.

"Trust us...we know better! We'll protect 'em no matter how many need to die in the process."