if i remember correctly, in Hawaii the law is that all LFS's are required to take in any unwanted fish, so that a fishkeeper who can no longer keep a large fish doesn't have to release or kill it. I think if more or all states had that law, it would force stores to be more careful about how they stock and sell fish. i think that kind of law would make stores self-regulate, and cut down on the number of unsuitable fish that are sold. If they have to worry about taking back a pacu or 25 every year, those fish will go only to homes that can support them.
Some thoughts on illegal fish
- Thread starter rjmtx
- Start date
Bsixxx;1214333; said:who in the hell goes through all that trouble and spends a crap load of money on lets say an illegal stingray and says oh my tank is too small, but hey look at that stream behind my house???no one does that no matter what, maybe an oscar or something but deffinatly not a stingray.
There are lots of kids with money out there who are willing to dish out the cash but not the proper care. Some of them are right here on this forum. I have seen loads of overstocked tanks owned by kids who just want a "cool" fish. And like any kids with toys they eventually get old...or get big. All it takes is one individual to release his fish. It is not worth the risk.
We all know full well how ridicoulously dangerous and illegal it is to release unwanted fish...but from someone who deals with the "fish-keeping public" on a daily basis...
It must be at least once a week someone tells me proudly how they let thier oscars/pacu/bala shark go in a canal or lake, so proud that they "did the right thing." People still genuinely believe that letting fish go is the best way to get rid of unwanted fish and are TRAGICALLY UNAWARE of the potential havoc they could cause the local environment.
And because of this...species that could be injurious to native populations really need to stay illegal...although it pains me to say it because I desperately want to keep snakeheads
It must be at least once a week someone tells me proudly how they let thier oscars/pacu/bala shark go in a canal or lake, so proud that they "did the right thing." People still genuinely believe that letting fish go is the best way to get rid of unwanted fish and are TRAGICALLY UNAWARE of the potential havoc they could cause the local environment.
And because of this...species that could be injurious to native populations really need to stay illegal...although it pains me to say it because I desperately want to keep snakeheads
Trajan230;1219643; said:
If all else fails...
No, I've just seen all of this from both sides. First, years selling fish and maintaining tanks. Now, working on the rivers with native fishes so, hopefully, they'll still be around twenty years from now. Sometimes it all really gets to me and I want to got on a pleco slaughtering rampage in the San Marcos River, but you can only kill them so fast... All I can say is the rivers can be the best places in the world to work, but also what's going on in them really eats me up inside.
I usually don't spew when I get a few drinks in me, but I guess I did that night, and sorry if I got some on your shoes.
you need to catch them, and sell them on aquabid as "wild caught" plecos. does it still count as F0?
