Re: NANFA-L-- (Re-focus) Releasing native fish back to the wild

Jase Roberts (travis.c.haas-in-lawrence.edu)
Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:48:21 -0500

I believe that there really is a need for such warning
signs at pet stores. I used to think that it was just
common sense to not introduce non-native fish into local
waters (the discussion of re-releasing natives aside...),
but then I began talking to casual fish-keepers and
realized that they didn't even consider that releasing
Goldie into a lake was a bad idea. They thought that if
Goldie is too big for his tank, how could there be any
doubt that putting him in the lake is the best option?
Many casual fish keepers think about the "happiness" of
their fish and forget about ecosystems. And that's yet
another reason why keeping native fish is so fantastic -
the collecting of the fish puts the aquarist in direct
contact with the parent ecosystem and leads us to consider
its health right along with that of the fish that inhabit
it. Keepers of non-natives need a way to be reminded of
this connection between ecosystem and fish.

Travis Haas
Fox River (and Lake Winnebago)
Appleton, WI

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:16:49 EDT
EELReprah-in-aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 8/25/06 11:03:51 AM,
>xenocephalus-in-mac.com writes:
>
> <<
> I have virtually never seen any signs or posts at any of
>the big (or
> small) pet retailers (like PetSmart or PetCo) about this
>topic. >>
>
> I did have occasion to provoke a comment from a pet
>store clerk when I was
> buying feeders for my pickerel. I asked for shiners but
>they were all gone so I
> then asked for feeder goldfish. The clerk immediately
>asked if I was going to
> use them for bait because they were illegal as bait. I
>answered her question
> -- no, but I was impressed by her knowledge.
>
> Lee Harper
> Media PA
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