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Re: BOUNCE killietalk at aka_org: Non-member submission from["Geoff Nelson" <Geoff_Nelson at mondi_co.za>]



"by way of Barry Cooper " wrote:
> 
> Hello All
> 
> I was thinking about a comment I saw here a little while ago about fish
> collected from places that were subsequently destroyed as a source for
> fish. Can people please send me instances that they know of where a fish
> was collected but the habitat was subsequently destroyed.


Perhaps the most classic case was *Fp. walkeri* GH 74/2 Kutunze. It has been
in the hobby over thirty generations, but its original collection site was
paved over for a market a long time ago.

Recently *Fp. oeseri* from the Island of Fernando Poo (Santa Isabela) has
been declared extinct in the wild. There are lots of others.

Many South American Annuals are found, identified, and declared extinct
almost as fast as one can write it. New roads let collectors in just before
changes in the habitat (brought by the roads) wipe out their temporary
pools. We just declared the *Simp. alternatus* a core species for
protection, based on reports the habitat was no more. It may be a false
alarm, but better safe than sorry. We will maintain them, for now.

> 
> A local company is changing some land use patterns and as I live in the
> Southern habitat range of some Notho species and some lampeyes, I want to
> try and get the company to do a good survey of any areas that may have
> annual pools that will be come perennial or be permanently dried up or
> areas that were dry due to previous land use disturbances.
> 
> This is so that if there are any possiblilites specimens could be collected
> and bred in captivity. I am sure that no species will die out but it would
> be good to get them to do something about it if fish are found.

For nice hobby fish, it is vital that we hear about it when a whole
collection location is no longer viable. Only then, can we mobilized groups
like the Killifish Conservation Committee of the AKA to take action to
preserve those still in the hobby. That keeps nice hobby fish going
(primarily the pretty and easy ones that just might not challenge the
experts).

Returning fish to the wild is a pretty dicey proposition, if the original
habitat is gone. Other suitable waters may be the native habitat for other
species that could be impacted. You have no idea how many hobbyist hours are
spent by folks in NANFA, NFC, DSAC, etc. just trying to remove "exotics"
that may have been introduced with the very best of intentions. Don't become
a party to introducing any more. That's a job for the pros (and some of
those are the worst culprits).

That's my $0.02.

Wright
South American Annuals Coordinator
Killifish Conservation Committee
American Killifish Association.
-- 
Wright Huntley,  Fremont CA, USA,  510 494-8679     huntley1 at home_com

In retrospect it becomes clear that hindsight is definitely overrated.

              http://environmental.networkroom.com/
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