Re: NANFA-- Confusion Strikes

Mark B (mbinkley_at_earthling.net)
Thu, 3 Feb 2000 09:50:07 -0500

At 7:18 PM -0800 2/2/00, Travis Haas wrote:
>Is it just me and my strange view of life, or does anyone else also see a
>sharply contrasting situation going on: on one thread we've got folks asking
>for flathead cat fry (capable of reaching many feet and length) and then on
>another thread we've got people workin' like the dickens to get a fish
>humane society type thing started up- which is largely needed for the
>purpose of taking in unwanted fish that have out grown people's tanks.
>
>Now so far I haven't seen anything wrong with anyone's intentions- But I'm
>scared by what _could_ be intended...

Personnally, I don't feel I have the right to dictate what kind of fish
someone wants to keep. I do feel that if you choose to keep something that
will outgrow your means, you ought to have a responsible plan for how to
deal with it in the future. For instance, If you choose to keep a flathead
catfish (I have one, by the way) you better be willing to euthanize it at
some point or to turn your house into a public-scale aquarium. Otherwise,
you are going to become part of the problem when this fish rapidly outgrows
your tank space. Releasing this fish or trying to pawn it off on some
unwilling party is not acceptible to my mind. I plan to euthanize mine
when it becomes unmanageable for me. Some may want to argue the morality
of that, but I guess I just think of myself as a top predator in the
biological system. If you're not willing to take that point of view, then
you are, IMO, being irresponsible if you keep unmanageable species. Does
that address the conflict you see?

Mark Binkley
Columbus Ohio USA <))><
mbinkley_at_earthling.net

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