Fish travel

[Colin_T]

I’m ok with that

You shouldn't be. The chocodiles can reach 20 feet long and do eat people.
Most people that collect fish up north use bait traps and put vegemite in the section for the food. Then they use a long wood pole with a hook on the end to put the trap in the water and wait. If there is a second person with them and they have a gun license, they usually keep lookout and shoot anything that moves in the water.

 

[GaryE]

It's a very good thing I don't want to see Pseudomugils in nature. When approaching water in Central Africa, we were very aware of avoiding becoming prey.
But since this is a bit of a fantasy thread, let's say the chocodiles only eat chocolate, and move on!

 

[Burleson]

lol I like that idea chicodiles eat chocolate
But also ewwwww vegemite

 

[Magnum Man]

I've tried to figure it out before... vegemite = vegetarian bologna???

 

[WhistlingBadger]

You have to go into chocodile infested waters to get them in Australia. There are also chocodiles in PNG.

OK, more serious question: Are the PNG crocs the same species of salties that live in northern Australia?

 

[Colin_T]

OK, more serious question: Are the PNG crocs the same species of salties that live in northern Australia?

yep. saltwater chocodiles that live in fresh, brackish or sea water and grow up to 20 feet.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

yep. saltwater chocodiles that live in fresh, brackish or sea water and grow up to 20 feet.

It's interesting to see an apex predator from Australasia that is on the red list as "least concern." Not too many of those left in that part of the world. I guess it's due to their huge range, and their habitat being largely inhospitable to humans. I would like to see one in the wild someday...from quite a distance.

 

[Boundava]

I would want to visit Australia to get and see the Spotted blue eyed rainbow fish - Pseudomugil gertrudae
They are also found in Papua New Guinea

I've had those, they're absolutely gorgeous and so much fun to watch when in a big enough School.
I'm almost tempted to set up a small tank for them right now. I do have a 20 long just sitting and doing nothing,

 

[Colin_T]

It's interesting to see an apex predator from Australasia that is on the red list as "least concern." Not too many of those left in that part of the world. I guess it's due to their huge range, and their habitat being largely inhospitable to humans. I would like to see one in the wild someday...from quite a distance.

Saltwater crocodiles aren't endangered or even threatened. There are hundreds of thousands of them in Australia alone. There are also crocodile farms that breed thousands of them every year.

Queensland in Australia is hosting the Olympics soon and the Queensland government is putting the competitive rowing in a river that is infested with crocodiles. The rowers are freaking out and want it somewhere else because if they fall in the water they will get taken, and big crocs will go and investigate things like canoes and boats. Imagine Olympic rowers being eaten by crocodiles during the Olympics. It's probably not a good look for the sport. The crocodiles aren't afraid of people because they have been protected for decades and there are plenty around.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

OK, I'll spare everyone some dark humor about opportunities to make various sports more interesting during the Queensland Olympics. Just permit me three words: High-stakes steeplechase...

Collin, are the crocodiles smart enough to learn fear of humans when they were hunted some? It seems to work for the wolves over here--they're still around (and I for one am glad), but since people started hunting them they don't hang out on the edges of town dining on calves and dogs anymore. At least, not as much. Once they have a few negative interactions with humans, they seem to figure it out.

Seems like maybe crocs just wouldn't care and will always see humans as a potential snack. But wow, I know I'm biased as a hunter and all, but I can't think that thinning out their numbers a bit in human-populated areas would be a bad idea.

@GaryE , I feel like we have thoroughly hijacked your delightful thread on fish travel. Sorry about that. Crocodiles are interesting to me. We don't have a ton of 'em around here.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

But attempting to bring this thread back on topic: Any trip to catch fish, or even simply observe them, wouldn't just be about fish for me. If I'm going to travel to a distant land to observe the local fishies, I'm going to want to observe the other local wildlife too, as well as meet the local people, learn about the local plants, get sick on the local foods...all that stuff. I really want to hear more about @GaryE 's comment:

When approaching water in Central Africa, we were very aware of avoiding becoming prey.

What kind of toothy beasts live in Central Africa? Did you see any? I'm intrigued by a brand of fish keeping that is fraught with mortal peril.

 

[migsly]

Let's play a game. If you had free time and a decent budget, and could go anywhere on the planet to look for fish to bring back, where would you go?

As a fishing tourist, you'd have places to stay and transportation, and as a fisher, you'd have health, strength and energy. What one region would your imagination and curiosity take you to, and why?

i don't think a wild fish would be happy put in a container and relocated. i would not do it.

 

[Colin_T]

Collin, are the crocodiles smart enough to learn fear of humans when they were hunted some? It seems to work for the wolves over here--they're still around (and I for one am glad), but since people started hunting them they don't hang out on the edges of town dining on calves and dogs anymore. At least, not as much. Once they have a few negative interactions with humans, they seem to figure it out.

Seems like maybe crocs just wouldn't care and will always see humans as a potential snack. But wow, I know I'm biased as a hunter and all, but I can't think that thinning out their numbers a bit in human-populated areas would be a bad idea.

@GaryE , I feel like we have thoroughly hijacked your delightful thread on fish travel. Sorry about that. Crocodiles are interesting to me. We don't have a ton of 'em around here.

The crocs are smart and when they were hunted the tourism board couldn't show them to visitors. The crocs just hid whenever they saw a human or heard a motorboat. Within a few years of no longer being hunted they started to approach people and boats again and the tourism operators were happy. Unfortunately there are now too many crocs and there are debates about whether or not they should be culled to some degree to reduce their numbers, especially around populated areas. People still get taken by them even though there are signs saying "Crocodiles, stay away from the water, stay out of the water, don't go near the water".

I'm not sure if we hijacked the thread talking about crocs because anyone who wants to keep rainbowfish from the northern half of Australia or coastal areas and rivers in New Guinea has to deal with them. So it's kind of still on track and is more about the safety when collecting in certain areas.

 

[Colin_T]

What kind of toothy beasts live in Central Africa? Did you see any? I'm intrigued by a brand of fish keeping that is fraught with mortal peril.

Hippos live in lots of waterways in Africa and kill more people than any of the big cats. Crocodiles also live in most waterways in Africa. They are a different species to the Australian ones but grow just as big and are quite happy eating anything that comes near or into the water. If you go into the Congo or other rainforest areas you can catch all sorts of nasty things including malaria, monkey pox, new viruses and old ones like Ebola. And you never drink the water or you get an upset tummy, a really bad upset tummy.