Re: On Line Listing-collecting trips

["David Ramsey" <djramsey at earthlink_net>]

Seems like several people want to go to an exotic place to collect fish.
Perhaps a more affordable and justifable means for the AKA to aid in this
would be as a facilitator. The AKA doesn't pay for the trip, the AKA gets
paid for doing the ground work.
Contact the onsite collectors/exporters and talk to them about a
ecotourism/collecting deal, whatever. Total guess here, but  say 6 or so
people, 1 week, to this area. The onsite collector/exporter provides the
paperwork, a guide, oversee the collecting / bagging / transporting etc. And
then provide the exporting of the fish to a common site back here in the
states. Each person pays his own way, and his share of whatever the week of
handholding cost.
I know there is at least one exporter for discus that does this, and from
people coming back they have been more than happy. A whole bunch of discus
nuts pays their money, climb in the boat, work their backsides off, collect
a bunch of fish, and someone makes sure they don't end up 'gone' and never
seen again. They come home with their idea of the vacation of a lifetime.
Seems like a win-win. The AKA gets some money for coordinating some of this.
The people who go pay to go, some exporter makes some money with some crazy
Americans, and some new fish come back. I for one would certainly love to
pre-order soon to be collected wild Blue Gularis or whatever. Hopefully the
fish they bring back get bred, or sold and bred.
I for one have thought about more than once if it was possible to find
someone to 'take me around for a day' to collect just australes or Blue
Gularis. In my dreams I fly down on Friday, do the Indiana Jones thing and
get 40-50 Blue Gularis and some other fish over the weekend, and then fly
back on Monday.  All in all, a very satisfying 4 day weekend. Only a couple
of problems, I don't know how to do it, where to go, who would meet me on
the other end and be my guide, and what all paperwork, visas, shots, etc etc
etc.  If the AKA announced that they had a trip lined up, doing what I just
described, had a packet of material of what all needs to be done, and the
guide lined up. All I had to do was send $XXXX money to the AKA and follow
the directions. I bet I would not be alone on the trip!
David Ramsey
djramsey at earthlink_net
----- Original Message -----
From: <MDelra at aol_com>
To: <killietalk at AKA_Org>
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 2:36 PM
Subject: Re: On Line Listing-collecting trips


> George,  the primary reason is that someone like me, and I am sure alot of
> others, could never do that.  I guess that I dont see a problem with, if
> approved, an organization able to assist a group of people with their
dream if they
> share the information that they learned on the trip.  I thought that the
group
> not making the trip would have encouraged the three that went.  If three
> members propose a trip and request funding for a trip that is determined
to be
> worthwhile by committee, I still do not see a reason why it is not a good
idea.
> Besides fish, articles can be published, data can be collected,  talks can
be
> given about the environment, etc.  Is'nt that what we are about.  While I
am
> not trying to be discourteous to some of the people objecting to this, I
have
> noticed that the majority of them have been there-done that.  I have even
> benefitted by getting their fish in the past.  I really dont consider this
a way for
> someone to pay for my vacation even though I always look for killies when
the
> family does take a vacation.  This idea to me seems to be the ultimate
> service that an organization like ours could offer to it's members.  I
dont think we
> should run our club like a politically correct soccer game where it's not
ok
> to want to win.  If we end up doing this, we definitely will displease
some
> people.
>
> If we call for proposals with a deadline and have an experienced
> collector/traveler in the group, it would be quite a learning experience
that would have
> long lasting benefits to all of us.
>
> Mark
>
>
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