HR 669 : CONGRESSIONAL HEARING BANNING NONNATIVE SPECIES APRIL 23, 2009 ACTION NEEDED

[T1KARMANN]

do you think this has anything to do with the out brake of snakeheads that have found their way into the US water ways

i can understand a ban on some types of fish as their are many tank busters that come on to the market that most people just cant house

TSN,RTC,silver aros black aros arapima just to name a few and some rays to some extent some of the hotter states already ban some of the fish named (i think)

but i don't feel all tropical fish should be banned

 

[stealthops69]

yes. the just put a bill into congress about not being able to have your own garden in your back yard bs. and all farms would be shut down basicly, except the big boys.

 

[stealthops69]

Hack politicians,cant help save the country from financial collapse so they make a name for themselves by attacking the pet industry.What will they go after next,imported foods?

yes. the just put a bill into congress about not being able to have your own garden in your back yard bs. and all farms would be shut down basicly, except the big boys.

 

[Allan01230]

A-holes can't balance damn budget or fix real promblems so lets lose all our money in the stock market. But lets make sure no 4 inch max size plecos are brought in to the U.S. Not just the pet industry all U.S. citizens should be outraged that our country is falling apart in its infustructure and opur great politicians are worried about pet fish. CRAZY!

 

[sas853]

if this is seriously pass from the court...just try to buy as much as you guys can...and breed out of them...
no offense but where is the freedom that you guys got?? you guys blame china for freedom...you guys are getting similar things now...**** man...even little innocent creatures want to be controlled by the government...what else they want to control more from you guys..I feel really sad for u guys if this really Act will pass

 

[redwine]

Stop interfering in my hobby. Choosing what type of fish that I may want to import and/or purchase is my business, not yours. Let the market place decide what I should or should not enjoy and/or purchase.

 

[viking252200]

Sections 3(b)(4) through (10) incorporate the subjective, non-scientific standard of “likelihood” for determining the probability that a species will become established, spread, do harm, or be accompanied by a “pathogenic species, parasite species, or free living species…” Does “likelihood” connote some level of probability – a specific statistical term – or is it merely a subjective conclusion that something might establish, spread, cause harm or be accompanied with parasites? The mere presence of parasites or
other associated organisms is not necessarily problematic. Furthermore, an extremist could argue that any species has some probability of establishing somewhere in the U.S. given the right ecological conditions and propagule pressure. If that probability in scientific risk-based terms presents a negligible risk, how is it assessed under the “likelihood” doctrine? What methods would be used to determine or score “likelihood?”

Reading this and remembering the "great snakehead" scare, could anyone tell me about the present situation?..have snakeheads taken over every pond, lake, stream and river in the US?

I goggled it, and lo and behold..while it has apparently established small populations a few places, it has not had the impact on the native wildlife
everyone expected.....and this was supposedly the "ultimate" invasive species!

IMO, this just goes to show how little the so called "experts" really know about this.

A species may have an impact on a local area, but then let that area decide...I mean banning a bird, a fish or any other kind of animal,because it can live outside captivity in FL..OK that MAY be the way to deal with that "problem", but banning the same animals in Alaska, where they would surely parish, makes no sense...

 

[MadRussian79]

Stop interfering in my hobby. Choosing what type of fish that I may want to import and/or purchase is my business, not yours. Let the market place decide what I should or should not enjoy and/or purchase.

And here is why the proponents are going batty about the whole thing. Certain animals should not be owned without special training and permit. You as an untrained private citizen can not ensure that this animal is safe for the general population. Therefore I do support banning some animals, but only specific animals (not groups) that either pose a substantial risk to the community at large, or to the eco system. Banning all snake heads is dumb, but trusting the average jo jackass aquarist with what every he/she can get is equally bad. It's this trust in ignorant or malicious idiots that allowed such a law to even be considered. Unfortunately when people get the crap scared out of them they over react , wild/ semi feral pythons and wild snake heads scare the crap out of people.

In an ideal world I'd actually agree with you. No one get animals they can not keep safely and stupid laws are not passed. When you find this place let me know and I'll give you a fat finders fee.

 

[MadRussian79]

I goggled it, and lo and behold..while it has apparently established small populations a few places, it has not had the impact on the native wildlife
everyone expected.....and this was supposedly the "ultimate" invasive species!

Really I got the impression that where they were established they did batter the carp out of native species, just not the expected "Walking Fish Pandemic" predicted.

 

[krzr3000]

most responsible hobbyist's usually dont let there pets go free and ultimately wreak havoc on ecosystems. the problem is that it only takes one person to do that and there is a potential catastophic consequence. carp,zebra muscles,sea lamprey, eurasian ruff are species that ive encountered b4. i fished in florida and caught oscars,cichlids,non native gar. my opinion is that this legislation is WAY OVERDUE. im sure someone will figure out how to get fish here. its gonna get very pricey to keep fish but ive seen enuff invasive species to know that this is good legislation. invasive species usually take over(succesful species) an ecosystem bcuz native species cant adapt fast enuff. just my opinion. please dont send hatemail like i got in other forums. its an educated opinion

Cheers!

You mention "responsible hobbyists". I've worked in a Pet Store in the past. The "responsible hobbyist" is in the minority. There are WAY too many idiots out there.

Agreed on both counts.

I think think this may be a bit extreme, but something has to be done. The damage is done and will continue. And its a pretty effective solution to take these animals out of the hands of many everyday newbies. I think besides the negative economic issues associated with this, we need a bigger argument than just our desire to keep animals in glass tanks.
The pet industry is devastating to wild populations (collecting), native populations (illegally releasing)...and is characterized by lots of unnecessary negative attention.

How many people have been killed or almost killed by someone burmese python? Had their face disfigured by a primate? Were those even cases of "irresponsible" owners? Probably not...its the fact its a potentially deadly animal...

I'm not for this as i think there are way bigger related issues out there, but i would like to see something done. Not like its going to happen anyways...