NANFA-- why not N.A. fish/ was-- wintering fish

R. W. Wolff (choupiqu_at_wctc.net)
Fri, 2 Jan 2004 09:33:03 -0600

It is simple. Money and power. The pet industry can make more money of
exotic fish that people have less ways to know about, especially when it all
started. The heavy shift to salt water in the last decade illustrates this.
Lots of money to be made of fancy gadgets and magic potions to keep those
fish alive.

Using the Amazon as an example: How many people could afford trips there
just 35 years ago? How many television shows explained this habitat and what
lives there? How many internet sites are devoted to the fish and other
things that live there- how they live, how the climate works etc? All this
new information allows people to better care for those fish. Many oridinary
aquarists now spawn all kinds of fish in captivity.

The power side comes from wildlife agencies. If private people could manage
and make money off of natural resources, the government agencies loose power
and in turn income. If you don't believe me, check out any of the articles
on the demonization of deer farmers in Wisconsin as scape goats for the CWD
( chronic wasting disease) problem. Even though there are more white tail
deer in the United States than before the first Europeans set foot here,
they are still managed in a crisis/rehabilitation method. On the fish side,
I wonder why you can breed any cichlid or barb you want, sell them to
anyone, and no worries? Yet you cannot do the same with sunfish and shiners.
Honestly, there is a double standard here.

One thing that has not changed sadly, fish are still thought of as
disposable pets by the majority of people who keep pets.

Ray
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org