govt to ban import of exotic fish

[richoman_3]

but .... all my fishies :O
i dont think they would do this, every time you go into an aquarium, about 3% of fish there are native

 

[lurker_sp]

It has everything to do with disease and quarantine!
Well said Dotty.

http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/asset.../2009-06a_Ornamental_finfish_draft_report.pdf

Mind you this is all based on false research designed to raise revenue for the person/organization that does the batch testing...but I ramble. It has never been proven that the iridovirus was not present here in Australia to begin with.

This is also a timely reminder to Herpers that what the govt. giveth with one hand, it can taketh away with the other. They might look at our hobby a little closer next?

 

[Jay84]

So is this about banning the IMPORT of fish...or banning the keeping of EXOTIC fish???

 

[Snowman]

Seriously though. Banning the importation on some or all ornamental fish is down out right ludicrous! Many people will be out of jobs, from the humble kid that cleans fish tanks at an aquarium to the AQUIS inspector that clears fish coming into a quarantine facility! This is a hobby that has been in Australia for a long time, a far bigger hobby than reptile keeping!.

You always hear that people will be out of jobs when something changes... But that's life, people move on. The government was talking about not having to lodge tax returns... How many accountants will that put out of work? The garbage men were replaced with a robot arm on the back of the garbage truck. What happened to all the guys that used to service public telephones that are no longer needed since we all have mobile phones.The list is infinite of jobs that have disappeared. Bringing up that it will put many people out of jobs isn't really part of the argument IMO.
Surely even with import bans there are enough exotic fish in Australia to sustain the hobby though. Even if they went as far as banning sale of exotic fish there will be a massive underground market. It's very hard to stop something that is already established like the cichlid keeping community.

 

[pyrodarknessanny]

lol and as usual my thread gets away from me at 100 miles an hour,
but its ok this time, just wanted to see where you all stand on this issue.
and i know id get the exact reversed reaction had i have posted this on a fish based/themed froum.

i agree with dottyback on this issue, banning all fish imports is one of the most retarted things i have ever heard of. and i do know a few pepole who have in the past breed fish for whole sale, and they all say that in hte long run its just not worth it, and these undividuals have been breeding things like discus and frontousa (chiclids), the whole saler wants to buy thousands of fish at a time, but they want tham all to be a certant size, and only pay minimal abounts for the fish.
lets say discus at a size of 8 cm each and they are getting them from the breeders for 80 centce eatch (remember that they are buying a few hundred fish at a time from the one place)
they then sell the fish to there customers the pet shops and aquariums for $40 per fish, and in turn the the stores are then selling the fish to hobyests for $80 to $120 per fish,


and depending on your fish of choice it afects what varity is avalible and wher you can get them from.
i my self used to breed bettas, and not just the common "fighting fish" that many of you know, i used to have a number of mouth brooding sepcies as well as some of the lesser knowen bubble nesters, all of witch i had to get imported as no supliers had them. (and yes it was all done legaly) i was paying quite a bit for the fish at the time too, and they were comming from places where they wer commonly breed like guppies or other common fish, id hate to see what the price for them would be like if the imports stopped ( the local breeders would have no contest then)

 

[Tsubakai]

It has everything to do with disease and quarantine!
Well said Dotty.

http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/asset.../2009-06a_Ornamental_finfish_draft_report.pdf

Mind you this is all based on false research designed to raise revenue for the person/organization that does the batch testing...but I ramble. It has never been proven that the iridovirus was not present here in Australia to begin with.

This is also a timely reminder to Herpers that what the govt. giveth with one hand, it can taketh away with the other. They might look at our hobby a little closer next?

This is what its really about.

They couldn't give two hoots about the release of fish into waterways. It would be hypocritical if they did, given how many exotic fish are released into our waterways every year by Government bodies. Maybe they should concentrate on the already illegal species that are coming into the country every week. Given two weeks, I could get a nice school of piranha for my tank (however I'm not going to as the fine is enormous and I don't think piranha are interesting enough). Just standard government departments looking after their mates and doing something so they can be seen to be proactive whether its truly going to make a difference or not.

 

[dragonboy69]

does the government want to next ban import or exotic birds

 

[kak1]

Exotic parrots have not been an allowable import into the country for many years now with the last legal imports being in the early 90's dragonboy69. Pigeons and some others have however been imported in the last few years.

 

[benjamind2010]

-I think the federal police might have something to do with the ban, however, as I found out in a book called the "Lizard King" that other much more illegal things come in with the fish.

Hmmm, maybe they should ban the importation of canned food too, while they're at it. Just because a lot of illegal crap comes in with fish imports doesn't mean that fish imports are a problem. It's that they are used to facilitate the importation of illegal material.

Ban fish, and they'll just use something else for their illegal imports to "piggyback" on. Be it canned food, books, CDs, DVD cases, etc