114 replies to this topic

[Terry]

WA fisheries have decided that 61 species are to be added to the noxious species list, it will be illegal to possess any of these fish after 23 July 2010 so they must be destroyed. These fish were placed on the list at the recommendation of the Ornamental Fish Management Implementation Group (OFMIG) this is a group of people set up by the Federal Government in 2006 to look into the ornamental fish industry and its impact on the environment via studies and public consultation.

After a couple of years OFMIG had made very little headway and the rumoured decisions that they were making caused a public outcry which resulted in thousands of protests by hobbyists and industry leaders, so OFMIG decided to ask the industry which fish were of little interest to the hobby. Lists were drawn up of fish “which we didn’t want or didn’t care about” These became the Noxious list and those that could possibly cause a problem to the enviourment became the grey list, their fate to be decided at a later date.

In my opinion OFMIG’s noxious list was a means to justify their 4 years of existence, OFMIG gave the Government a list of sacrificial fish which was taken up by WA fisheries who then added them to the noxious fish list because none of the fish were believed to be in the country anyway. OFMIG and WA Fisheries both gave the impression that they had actually done something for our environment.

The public consultation failed, several of these pet fish species are in Western Australia and none of them had an environmental impact study done on them. They were banned because it was believed that they did not exist. People do not want their pets destroyed so some of the fish have already been hidden away and their value is increasing on the black market.

Yesterday I had 140 Oreochromis tanganicae in my collection 96 juveniles @ 4cm about 40 juveniles @ 7cm and 2 breeding pairs. I obtained the breeders 2 years ago legally from a Perth Aquarium shop, over the last few months I have legally disposed of about 40 of the 7cm fish to local Aquarium shops. After hearing the news about the noxious list I bought back 8 of the fish in an attempt to do the right thing for our hobby.

Today I killed all of the 4cm fish, as I was catching the 7cm fish I decided that this is wrong.
Why should I kill my pets? I have decided that I am not killing any more pets and that on the 23rd of July I will become a criminal and in the very near future my home will be raided by WA Fisheries accompanied by armed police. My pets will be taken from me and destroyed, this is not an exaggeration as many of you will be aware that this has happened on at least 2 occasions in recent years.

Terry Rowlands Hazelmere
11th July 2010

[Terry]

The comments above are my personal views and are not made as a member of the PCS
Cheers Terry

[Kieran]

If they come, you say nothing. Instruct your children (if any) to say nothing. I've heard cases where so-called 'experts' have asked what a discus breeding cone is for -- so much for 'expert'.

I am very sorry for your loss, and I hope all goes well with your Oreochromis.

[Tarpon]

The law is still the law however. Break it and you are a criminal

[missyphoebee]

oh my god i am so sorry that you have to kill your pets! its not fair and i believe if you already owm the fih they banned before they banned them you should be able to keep them for the rest of theyre natural life (of course not breeding them)

[Fox]

I wonder what would happen if I went out the back and killed my dog! Thats jail time isnt it? Just because they dont have fur & paws doesnt mean they arent pets.

[Ivan Sng]

Sorry for your loss. You sort of wonder where the society is heading when a simple law means the end of life for some.

It is a aquatic Holocaust.

[missyphoebee]

I wonder what would happen if I went out the back and killed my dog! Thats jail time isnt it? Just because they dont have fur & paws doesnt mean they arent pets.

exactually!!! i 100percent agree!! you shouldnt have to kill your pets

[dazzabozza]

Such a shame........ the word "unreasonable" comes to mind when I think about this. How we should be expected to kill something we have raised over the years. No option to let them live out their lives, no option for permits, no option for reimbursement.....

I declare this to be the "No Options Policy"

[ford2]

and it wont stop people from keeping them it will only make them worth more on the black market

[Mr_docfish]

There will have to be some sort of amnesty...... or the black market will be rife!!!

You have no idea how many offers for several fish species (now on the noxious list) that I have or have had - these fish were not even being considered, and hard to sell because no one really wanted them - until now..... now there are a number of people that are desperate to get their hands on these fish, because of the possible black market sales. Name one thing that is prohibited in this country that you cant find...... Im talking drugs, guns, girls, and illegal fish..... the latter can make you good money, and all you get is a smack on the knuckles compared to the others....

Oh well...... I am a law abiding citizen, but I will wait for fisheries to come and get whatever I have after the 23rd..... they can have their glory and suffer their conscience - but I will get my 10minutes of arguing with them..... that's what a democracy is all about huh?

[sandgroper]

Sounds like a good time to move house and go into hiding guys.Bloody fun police.

[Link2Hell]

Hi Terry
sorry to hear about this as it would be heartbreaking

I was under the impression that the proposals would be put back to the hobbiest
through these types of web forums and the aquarium clubs for responces to the
proposed listing of fish for revision, but who believes a beaurocrat or politician

Orreochromis was listed with Sarotherodon and Tilapia in other states so was
something in their sights (like large piscavore species of gar, channa and catfish)
because of spawn sizes and adaptability of Tilapia's
I wondered what the outlook would be when I saw they were out here

It has been a long time coming but this is the end result of the large number of
fish smuggled in over the past decade or so and the increased number of feral
populations and their effects on natives after the bio diversty bill was passed
with a national listing being pushed for by Vic, QLD & SA
It amazed me that they never seemed to target the outlets for the smuggled fish
especially when things were so openly traded on the forums as new species
I guess the watchers (yes the forums were and most likely still are monitored)
weren't interested even though most people had an idea who were the importers

Some how I don't see this being the end of things now they finally have got to this
point in the process but it would seem there are the basic noxious species like
Pirahna, Channa, Tilapia and electric catfish plus whatever trade off can be reached
with other species and that proof of ownership is up to you to provide in their eyes
so who keeps receipts of their fish purchases ?
the large Americans have been a target that a national listing will now allow them to
work through also

It makes an interesting legal argument were the LFS has sold a known illegally
imported or noxious listed species and the onus of due care for financial loss
that will occur if the fish is handed over for euthanising as there is no compensation
to be paid by the government

the end result is another black market economy and an increase in the number
of members of the Society of Secret Fish as the hobbiest is easier to pick on

Chris

[smellsfishy]

i just wouldnt be able to do it... something i have raised,fed,looked after and loved have to be killed.
they are only going to push us underground. fish black market
I don't know what they are trying to accomplish there will always be a breeder or unaware aquarist keeping them... making it pointless for the culling.

[Kieran]

proof of ownership is up to you to provide in their eyes
so who keeps receipts of their fish purchases ?

Where does proof of ownership come into it? It was my understanding noxious fish were to be destroyed and there was no compensation, no matter who the owner.

[mtchye]

This is yet another rule that penalises the guys like Terry who do the right thing and rewards the black market profiteers that do not. Sensible, pragmatic application of policy would have been far more effective at reducing the population of the targeted species I would think.

I suppose there's no chance now of modification to the list itself?

[Hydonia]

I'm very sorry you had to start doing this Terry. I don't think I would physically be able to do this to a perfectly healthy fish, whether I raised it or purchased it. It just doesn't seem right somehow.

[Donna]

It does not necessarily make you a criminal if you break the law. It's only fisheries Could be different if you were importing them, but they are only for personal use.

Sorry to hear that anyone who has spent a lot of time keeping their stock alive has to suddenly go against the grain and take their lives. Really sorry Terry.

I have some questions, sorry (to the thread police) if they have been answered elsewhere.

How will fisheries know if people have particular kinds of fish?
Are they being banned because stocks are depleted in their own countries?
Are they being banned because they are a risk to our waterways?
Who makes the decisions?

Interesting thread.

Regards,

Donna

[Cawdor]

Until they ban cats, the ban on owning (not even importing) exotic fish seems....ludicrous. I understand your decision Terry.

[werdna]

I dont blame you Terry.

I couldn't kill 2 hybrids I had, so just left them to live out their lives in a spare tank.

Forcing someone to kill their pets because a group has decided their is a chance it could be released is a cop out.
Especially when other pets are ignored as Tim mentioned. And there is more proof of damage caused by cats than ANY fish species.