Adrian's posting puts it in a nutshell - we do not disagree with your intent Walter. To me it is a national disgrace that "bumbling" but well-intentioned amateurs seem to be more interested in the bottom end of the Australian FW piscine food chain than th
e Government Departments charged by the public with safeguarding their welfare.
<<We have been importing aquarium fishes for almost 100 years or more and the
number of species imported during that time must number in excess of 1000
(who knows?).
If we look at other exotic species that are established in Australia,
freshwater aquarium fishes are a very small part.>>
Overall aquarists haven't done too badly here in Australia. Howaver I agree with Peter and Andrew that there is a lot of inconsistency and faulty reasoning when it comes to trying to fathom the logic (or lack thereof) of the official approach to ornamenta
l fish importation. It may be that keepers of native fish will be in future licensed and only allowed to keep those species found within a 50 kilometer radius of their home. Hopefully exotics will be fobidden and the same restrictions will apply to aquacu
lture of food fishes if such a policy is in force. And "pigs might--"
I feel most would vote for a warm and cuddly moggy rather than a cold and slimy fish Adrian. I hope the fish "experts' get their act together and reduce the number of exotic aquaculture species rather than increase.Unfortunately there are more votes in ca
t keepers than there are in fish keepers so government policy will continue along present l;ines for the forseeable future.
I guess in deference to Walter's plea for patience, couldn't we importune any scientist or politician that we have any contact with to support some kind of co-ordinated plan to do the necessary( but as yet undesigned research) that Walter feels is still n
eeded so that a proper evaluation of requests for imports can be made? Rob Wager and Peter Jackson have mase something of a start with their "Action Plan" but it is a pretty sketchy thing at best.
The people who provide the funds for research seem to forget that the"Fish that People eat" have to have a place to live and something smaller than themselves to eat so research should start at the habitat and the bottom of the food chain.
Enough for now and let someone else let off some steam.
Bruce Hansen ANGFA
Attachment Converted: c:\eudora\attach\RE In defence of the aquarium