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Re: species maintenance

>
> And you've given me a lot of food for thought, Tom. I obviously had not
> thought the issue through. I think, though, that the AKA might want to
> put more emphasis on species maintenance. The Species Maintenance
> Committee is not well publicized. I was not aware it existed until this
> issue came up in a regular GCKA meeting. Getting the list of species
> published and on the website will probably help a lot.

Actually, publicity of the committee is generally done through the BNL - I
post requests for peoples lists of fish a couple times a year.  I also have
posted on the meail lists requests for info on specific species that seem to
be in trouble and gotten very good responses from here.  I have in the past
posted information about groups of fish and the 'commonality' of each
species within the hobby.  I have not done this in the past year - but
instead have placed my major focus on data collection for the SMC Report.
As with any hobby - time (or lack thereof> becomes a factor <smile>.  For
example, last summer my wife began treatment for cancer - what becomes the
most important focus.  <For everyone's info - in March she was given a
'clean' bill of heath - at least until her next appt.>  ANyway, the SMC
Report covers as much data as I have been able to collect and includes
species available in North America and Europe.


> Question: does the Species Maintenance Committee serve as a
> "clearinghouse" to match people and "at risk" fish populations up? For
> example, if I wanted to find a pair of fish that were extremely uncommon
> in the hobby (maybe in danger of being lost to the hobby) with the plan
> of making a concerted effort to successfully breed them, whom would I
> contact?
>

   No, the SMC is not a clearing house for matching people and fish
together.  Instead, I have focused on developing a program to allow the
membership of the AKA to know what species are in the hobby and just how
rare they are.  From that point, I hope those people who still have an
'endangered species' will look deep into their souls and work hard to
re-establish the fish and spread it through either Fred Behrman's N&RSC or
the F&E Listing.

    In addition, I seek out many of those species exclusively for SMC work
and try to assign an 'endangered species with a hobbyist who I believe has
the experience and skill to reproduce it.  While I know this may seem unfair
to some. my goal is to protect and re-establish the fish - not provide
edangered species to everyone who wants them.  It is a very difficult
decision at times and also one open to criticism.

   What is important to understand is that when I offer a fish to someone
(or receive an endangered species) I do it with the intent to keep anonymity
involved to protect the people from harassment.  For example - last year I
sent an endangered Epiplatys species to a wonderful breeder in the midwest.
That fish has been solidly re-established in that region as well as in N.Y.
State.  But I would think it unfair to name the people involved without
their permission.

    Now in terms of you offerring to house and work with a species of
endangered fish - and this goes for everyone <smile> -  You can let me know
what fish you have in mond, and then I will seriously consider obtaining the
species and then going from there.  Its hard to promise anyone an answer,
but people serious about working with fish are definitely of value to this
committee.  I hate to sound evasive - there are just so many factors at the
time to consider - I don't like to make promises I can't keep.

  But please  let me know of a fish you have interest in working with and
maybe we can help each other.

  Tom






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