why are VIP REDS illegal in U.S.?

[Arofanatic]

Read this, it will give you a fair idea, but I reckon out of every one person arrested a hundred get through.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cac/news/pr2006/125.html

 

[Crustman]

As Dirty Harry would say "Are you feeling lucky? Punk" $250,000 is a steep fine for one fish.

 

[Onion01]

title says it they are very pretty fish is it for release purposes? Could there be a reason do they get like gigantic?


just want to know, and if anyone in the us has one what is the fine or trouble..

buddy, who would release a $6000 fish into the wild? And about that article, 5 YEARS FOR ONE FISH!!!

 

[mike dunagan]

that is the max... I mean 82 minutes in jail for time with a red may be worth it for some...

 

[Sundew]

I’m sure you can imagine how many people in the warmer parts of the US would immediately start breeding programmes and the proportional damage unleashed when many of those fish, as would be inevitable, worked their way into the water system.

It would be ecological madness to allow Asian arowana into the warmer parts of the US even if they are very pretty fish.

It is unlikely that fish costing thousands of dollars would be dumped in local waters, although we have had fish released by fish farms being flooded. Plecos in central Florida lakes and springs come to mind (but hey, they keep the algae off the Manatees!)

The only places these fish are likely to survive outdoors in the U.S. would be Hawaii and south Florida. As for the latter, a fish survey several years ago in the Miami area yielded about 35 species: only one native! So its a bit late to worry about changing that ecosystem. It could only make it more 'interesting' at this point.

We are only allowed the Silver Arowana in Florida. For reasons that escape logical people, the Black is not allowed here, even though it supposedly has the same temperature tolerance as the Silver and is no more, or less, likely to survive here than its larger cousin. Indeed most books say it is more delicate. Survivability in the wild seems to be thre reason all others are banned here (except the Asian which is CITES 1). When you think of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tropical fish that are sold in the U.S. realatively few have become established here, in most places its just too cold in the winter.

Now temperate fish, that's another story.

 

[Zoodiver]

How are captive bred fish endangered ?
The US government are quite clearly, and very sensibly, using this as an excuse to prevent their entry as an ecological protection.

Being bred in captivity doesn't change its species status as an endangered animal what so ever.

Thats B.S, there's plenty of other things listed in the CITES Apendix 1 that aren't banned in the US, like the entire cycad genus Encephalartos. As the person above said, they're all farm-raised so why does their status in habitat have any effect on weather or not they should be allowed in the trade? CITES may offer protection to fish etc in habitat, but it makes it a whole lot harder to breed/increase/save a species as it makes it very difficult to ship them between countries, and making it illegal to own F2 captive bred fish doesnt help.

Calling BS is funny when we're talking animals and you bring up a plant. The US bans keeping of endangered animals (like those listed as CITES App 1) with the Lacey Act. Go read up on it. It's there for a good reason. Again, being captive bred doesn't change the fact that the animal is endangered.

Realistically, how many of these guys talking of owning one are doing it for breeding purposes? Maybe 1 in a 10,000. Good intentions aside, I bet none have close to the right facility or finiancial means to support an Asian Arowana breeding program in the US. Not even the zoos and aquariums over here want them. We get so many that are nabbed by US F&W for free that we can't place them all.

 

[wizzin]

The US bans keeping of endangered animals (like those listed as CITES App 1) with the Lacey Act. Go read up on it. It's there for a good reason. Again, being captive bred doesn't change the fact that the animal is endangered.

That's partially not true. CITES App 1 animals bred in captivity at a registered CITES breeding facility are automatically classified as App 2 (CITES Article VII) : http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/text.shtml#VII

Also, Lacey Act doesn't matter if the animals are acquired legally. i.e. You legally purchase an arowana in Canada then drive into the US. In that scenario, you would be breaking the law under the Endangered Species Act.

Very bluntly, CITES has NOTHING to do with why Scleropages Formosus are illegal in the US!!!!!. and the Lacey Act has very little to do with it either. If you purchase an arowana in the US, you are breaking the ESA. Lacey would come into play if you were to ILLEGALLY acquire the specimen in contradiction to a state, or foreign law.

 

[Hendri]

i add a bit :

arowana cannot live in cold water especially in country with 4 seasons like U.S.

indonesia only has 2 season : rainy and sunny....

actually in Indonesia has a lot of farmers that breed arowanas.. not wild caught..

it is the time for U.S. to open the market like other countries.. to fulfill the hobbyst wish list...

i just thinking why other countries can open the market and U.S. not ??

even taiwan ever banned the import, now they open also..

Canada also can, U.K also can.. why U.S. cannot ? why why why ?

 

[wizzin]

i add a bit :

arowana cannot live in cold water especially in country with 4 seasons like U.S.

indonesia only has 2 season : rainy and sunny....

actually in Indonesia has a lot of farmers that breed arowanas.. not wild caught..

it is the time for U.S. to open the market like other countries.. to fulfill the hobbyst wish list...

i just thinking why other countries can open the market and U.S. not ??

even taiwan ever banned the import, now they open also..

Canada also can, U.K also can.. why U.S. cannot ? why why why ?

in due time. One way YOU can help is if you have any connections to any farms in Asia, to try to get the farms to donate to Conservation International. Not that you want to help the hobbyists in the US, but it would help conserve the fish in the wild.

 

[cjack]

the asian arowana is illegal to bring into the US from Canada because of customs. when you have to go through customs, they search your packages (especially ones that are taped shut). If an endangered species is found they are confiscated and you are arrested because you had an endangered species without a permit. However, if you have a friend on CITES or the US fish and wildlife, and can get a permit, well thats a whole nother story. But for most of us, thats a fantasy. As for why they are illegal, its because their wild breeding populations are very low, and as anybody will tell you arowana's arent the easiest to breed. If any condition is slightly wrong, the male will probobly swallow the babies and there goes a whole generation. So if you want to help get Asian Arowana's in the US get a permit, start a breeding facility, and try and get a permit to sell them (again....good luck).