Welcome to the list.As Andrew has said there certainly is interest and a
market not only here but in Europe and North America as well. Before you and
your friend spend too much money setting up a fish farm you will need to
look into the legalities of exporting them.
There has been a total official ban on live fish imports from PNG to
Australia for some 15 years or so. The learned scientists that advise the
Government here on such things have decreed that Rainbowfish from PNG in
particular pose a significant environmental risk. Apparently they feel that
if they are allowed in and if they somehow get into our streams and if there
are sufficient numbers released and if the streams have the right
temperature and if the water parameters suit them that they will cross with
our native Rainbowfish and somehow lead to their demise.
We at ANGFA are trying to get this ban lifted but don't hold your
breath.Meanwhile new species are being smuggled in with all the attendant
disease risks associated with circumvention of quarantine.
Rainbowfish are eminently suitable subjects for small scale pond aquaculture
and could form the basis for a lucrative export market from PNG to Europe
and the USA if you can arrange appropriate export permits, health
certificates etc from your end. All the participants on this list have an
interest in the proper development of such an industry in PNG but we would
not like to see an export industry based on wild-caught fish for obvious
conservation reasons. Some species of PNG Rainbowfish are already in serious
trouble from introduced predators and pollution without adding extra
pressures.
Please keep us posted on progress and if you need ant help or advice we
would be onlt too happy to help.
Regards,
Bruce.
Bruce Hansen, A.N.G.F.A., Advancing Australian Aquatics.
Bruce Hansen, ANGFA, caring for our aquatic ecosystems.
Please visit us at http://www.ozemail.com.au/~fisher/angfa.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Boyd <andrew at pcug.org.au>
To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au <rainbowfish at pcug.org.au>
Cc: swainsj at mpx.com.au <swainsj at mpx.com.au>
Date: Friday, 7 August 1998 23:56
Subject: Re: [RML] PNG Rainbow Fish
>At 21:31 07/08/98 +1000, Steve wrote:
>>Hello
>>
>>A friend of mine in PNG has asked to see if I can get some info on
>>Freshwater Fish from PNG and if anyone would know if much work has been
>>done on breeding them, the one's we seem to have heard of are called
>>Rainbow's.
>
>Hi Steve, well, I hope you're subscribed to the mailing list, just in case
>you aren't, I cc'ed it to you anyhow ;)
>
>