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Re: Position paper...
Ok David Little Hale heres the latest version take a look at
it....................
NANFA POSITION PAPER :
AMENDING STATE REGULATIONS TO GUARANTEE THE RIGHTS OF
INDIVIDUALS TO COLLECT AND KEEP NATIVE FISHES FOR THE HOME
AQUARIUM.
Currently all across the continent 1,000's of individuals
are collecting , rearing and breeding native fishes in home
Aquariums. Their activities are shrouded in legal ambiguity.
In many cases the keeping of common fishes such as darters
and pygmy sunfishes is technically illegal. This is due to
state regulations implemented with a lack of consideration
of this common use of our fisheries resources. While such
cases seldom result in individuals being prosecuted the
possibility does exist. Many individuals in NANFA have had
unnecessary field confrontations with wardens over these
ambiguous regulations which leave interpretation to each
individual warden. NANFA ( North American Native Fishes
Association ) has become a clearing house for individuals
interested in keeping native fishes. Our organization
balances the needs of collectors and our native species.
That role is our foremost function. Our unique membership
composition of 1/3 fisheries personnel and 2/3 Aquarist
gives us a balanced perspective on the issue of fisheries
regulation. The purpose of this position paper is to spur
individual state regulatory committees to adjust existing
regulations where necessary to address the collecting and
rearing of native fish for the home aquarium. We do not seek
anything but reasonable and rational access to our fisheries
resources .
First and foremost we are all aware that our fishes are a
unique renewable natural resource. We understand that the
public must work together with fisheries agencies to insure
their preservation. NANFA takes that role seriously . NANFA
is involved all across the country in stream restoration,
endangered species propagation and public education. We in
NANFA seek to conserve and learn about our fishes within the
framework of state regulations. Unfortunately as has been
stated before many of the regulations did not have the
Aquarist in mind when they were developed. As such they are,
in certain cases limiting or stopping recreational
collecting. We strongly believe to impede the recreational
collector while allowing the sport fisherman or bait
collector to continue without similar restraint is
irrational and wrong. The Aquarist who keeps Native Fish is
an invaluable untapped resource to state agencies . Consider
the following points.
1.) Aquarist typically deal in non game species. Their
expertise in raising and breeding such species makes them a
valuable untapped resource for fisheries personnel.
Propagation techniques developed by NANFA members are all
ready being used by state fisheries departments involved in
threatened and endangered species propagation in the states
of Tennessee, Virginia, and Oregon . It is inevitable that
such partnerships will increase.
2.) With the sanctioned involvement of Aquarist in native-
keeping, public education and awareness would increase. With
the increased public education, involvement would increase
and yield additional involvement in those species and their
conservation. For example NANFA has several writers who
typically write for Aquarium magazines and expose 500,000
readers to native species and their care. These are people
who vote, pay taxes and were largely ignorant of our native
species.
3.) Aquarist spend over 1 billion dollars a year on their
hobby. It is reasonable that some of that money be spent on
local species via a collectors license or permit fee.
4.) With their backgrounds in aquarium propagation Aquarist
would be excellent partners in stream restoration projects.
Their skills could speed up the restoration of a damaged
stream. Even to the point of returning specimens to their
historic watersheds. Specimens born and raised in home
aquariums.
5.) There are more Aquarist in this country than hunters
and fisherman combined. Encouraging their involvement in
local species could only benefit those species.
6.) The danger of introduction of non indigenous species to
new watersheds is minimal when compared with the risk of
existing stocking programs, bait collections etc.. Who is
more likely to introduce a new species to a watershed the
bait farm/ stocking program with 1,000,000 fish and a 3%
species by product (i.e. unintended species in the mix) or
an Aquarist with a few dozen shiners or darters ? NANFA has
always been at the forefront voicing concern on the issue of
non native species introduction and will remain so in the
future. Watershed integrity is one of our major focuses.
7.) With existing laws that limit recreational collecting
those laws are in effect encouraging individuals to kill
fish while discouraging them from conserving them ( i.e. you
can collect X amount to use as bait but can not collect for
the home aquarium ) such regulations are short sighted.
NANFA proposes a simple game species -non game species
system for Aquarist .This would be covered under a regular
fishing license or an additional collecting permit if that
is necessary. For example an individual could collect X
amount of non game species per day via seine net, minnow
trap, dip net or hook. It is simpler to just name the game
species than to name the non game species. In addition allow
legally caught game fish to be kept in the home aquarium.
It is reasonable to use them against a creel limit.
Scientific permits have proven to be an ineffective means
of allowing non game species collecting. By their very
nature they are exclusive. For example a housewife in
Illinois is very unlikely to be able to acquire a scientific
collecting permit so she can collect Darters. The paperwork
involved in such permits makes them unsuitable as a means to
allow collecting for the home aquarium. Fisheries personnel
must evaluate request for scientific collectors permits on a
case by case basis. Instead of assuming a citizen as a
worthy fisherman , the scientific collecting permit takes a
guilty until proven innocent attitude. The paperwork for a
scientific collecting permit is just too formidable for the
average citizen or fisheries department to deal with on a
large scale. They are a unnecessary difficulty to the under
budgeted fisheries departments and their personnel.
In conclusion we ask that you reevaluate existing
regulations and include the needs of the home aquarium
collector in your future plans. The home aquarium /collector
is a valuable untapped resource that is worthy of serious
consideration when evaluating fisheries programs and user
needs. To ignore them would be great disservice to our
native fishes.
References: