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Re: NFC: Re: Too much awareness?

I agree that in some cases aquarium propagation could be the factor that
decides whether a fish species exists or not, but I think preservation in
the wild is preferred.

Norm
---------------------------------------------------------------
The North American Native Fishes Association:  over
20 years of conservation efforts, public education, and
aquarium study of our native fishes.  Check it out at
 www.nanfa.org

-----Original Message-----
From: mcclurg luke e <mcclurgl at washburn_edu>
To: nfc at actwin_com <nfc at actwin_com>
Date: Wednesday, January 13, 1999 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: NFC: Re: Too much awareness?


>
>
>Exactly why secured breeding stocks might very well save the wild
>populations...
>
>Luke
>
>
>On Tue, 12 Jan 1999, Norman Edelen wrote:
>
>> Hello All,
>>
>> I can attest to the fact that awareness can lead to behavior that is
>> detrimental to the environment.  The Olympic Mud Minnow is a really
>> beautiful and interesting fish found in very limited habitat only on the
>> Olympic Peninsula.  It has often been featured in articles and books on
>> native fishes and aquarium keeping.  It has become quite desirable.
>> However, it is a species protected in the state of Washington.  I have
had
>> several people asking me where to find it and if I can get them.  I even
had
>> one fellow from Florida offer me a protected Florida species in trade for
>> them.  Some people have become unscrupulous in their desire for this
>> species.
>>
>> Norm
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>> The North American Native Fishes Association:  over
>> 20 years of conservation efforts, public education, and
>> aquarium study of our native fishes.  Check it out at
>>  www.nanfa.org
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: D. Martin Moore <archimedes at master_localink4.com>
>> To: nanfa at aquaria_net <nanfa at aquaria_net>; nfc at actwin_com
<nfc at actwin_com>
>> Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 12:21 PM
>> Subject: NFC: Too much awareness?
>>
>>
>> My fellow fish-heads,
>>
>> We have all claimed that what the world needs is more awareness
>> of our native fishes, etc.  That way, people will stand up and say,
>> "Hey, we need to make efforts to keep this resource available for
>> our children's children's children, etc."  But my friends, there is a
>> sinister side to this too.  I recently had an interesting conversation
>> with my friend Mike Stegall, currently the head aquarist at the
>> Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (whom I have enlisted as
>> my official "leaflet-hander-outer"), and former NANFA member.  He
>> stated that several years ago an article appeared in American
>> Currents detailing the exact location of several collecting sites in
>> the Okefenokee, and what the author found there.  Shortly after this
>> article appeared, "caravans" of collectors invaded these exact
>> spots (no others) and severely depleted those populations.  I said I
>> wouldn't have thought that many people would have taken an
>> interest, to which he replied "Nobody did.  I guess the fact that it
>> was the Okefenokee had a lot to do with it."
>>
>> Now, there was no survey done here, so you can take this
>> anecdote for whatever you think it's worth.  But, to quote the old
>> Eagles tune, "...call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye!"
>>
>> Can you imagine what would happen if our native fishes became
>> commercially important (e.g. a sharp increase in popularity)?
>> Good, bad, or ugly?  I'd like to hear opinions on this.
>>
>>
>> Prost,
>>
>> Martin
>> ---------
>> "If you want to save Flipper, EAT Flipper!" - Rush Limbaugh
>> Prost,
>>
>> Martin
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------------
>> Greater American Freshwater Fishes Resource Site (GAFFeRs):
>> http://www.localink4.com/~archimedes/
>>
>> "Fie on thee, fellow!  Whence come these fishes?" - Scheherazade
>>
>> "Any fish with good teeth is liable to use them." - Wm. T. Innes
>>
>>