Proposed USA regulations ending fish keeping

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

Byron

Supporting Member
Tank of the Month 🏆
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
21,667
Reaction score
13,325
Location
CA
My title for this thread is intended to catch attention, but the issue is very serious for the hobby. Several weeks back I posted about proposed bylaws in some Canadian cities that, if passed, could end the keeping of aquarium fishes. In the current edition of Amazonas there is a report of proposed legislation before the Congress that will/could have much the same result. Here's a citation, followed by the link to the full article.

The definition of “wildlife” covers almost every animal, no matter how many generations it may be removed from its wild counterparts, with very few exceptions aside from dogs and cats. The consequences for reptile and amphibian keepers, bird owners, aquarists, and other pet owners if the COMPETES Act passes will be severe. This means every reptile, amphibian, arachnid, bird, fish, coral, and invertebrate will be subject to the new restrictions, whether captive bred, ranched, farmed, aquacultured, maricultured, or collected from a wild source or fishery. With more than 10,000 species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, fish, corals, and invertebrates kept by hobbyists and in trade, it is likely only a small fraction of species would initially be able to overcome the onerous listing process on the “White List.”​

 
If they really want to help than change the standards for animal sales. Like do what they do for dogs and cats and make sure people can actually care for the animal... This is outrageous... Now we get to suffer from mistakes that ignorant people make...
 
I seem to recall a similar thing being banded round a decade or so ago, I can't see it ever happening, would just promote a black market for fish keeping.
*small child walks into an alley way to just sit*

Random guy: "Ey kid, I got some good stuff for ya. Best on the market betta. Wont find em anywhere else. Want em?"

Lol
 
Here in the US too. The greater Seattle aquarium society is trying to stop it. It would ban even private sales withing the state, make state to state transport illegal, and banning imports
 
The hobby really could use some restrictions. People buy fish that need the keeper to have plenty of experience. Anableps are cute in the shop. Or..Why are people buying Arapaima in 2022? Same for any giant fish? There are plenty of fish long kept in the hobby,grown by fish farms.
I've kept them all...and if some of those I kept were never sold again I would be happy for the fish. Times change. When I started the largest aquarium sold was about a 50 gallon Metaframe. That's not big enough nor is 20,000 gallons for Arapaima. Times were so different then about nature.
 
The hobby really could use some restrictions. People buy fish that need the keeper to have plenty of experience. Anableps are cute in the shop. Or..Why are people buying Arapaima in 2022? Same for any giant fish? There are plenty of fish long kept in the hobby,grown by fish farms.
I've kept them all...and if some of those I kept were never sold again I would be happy for the fish. Times change. When I started the largest aquarium sold was about a 50 gallon Metaframe. That's not big enough nor is 20,000 gallons for Arapaima. Times were so different then about nature.
Agreed. But not so many restrictions that not even a good aquarist can get amy fish.
 
@Stan510 is on the mark here. I have so often said that the aquarists who buy one or two clown loaches and put them in a 10g tank, then say "they're happy, nothing wrong" are not helping the hobby. The animal rights folks, and I applaud their real concern for the well-being of animals when it is within reason, get hold of stuff like this and run with it. Several years ago there was an effort in the UK (or could have been EU) to regulate ornamental fish, to require permits/licenses for larger fish like clown loaches, or outright banning them. I haven't heard of this more recently, but regulating our own hobby could help us keep it. But it is probably too late now, the momentum has shifted.

Two years ago Canada banned the capture, import and keeping of all cetaceans within Canadian land and ocean waters. These are dolphins, whales and porpoises. Injured animals can be rehabilitated and released, but not kept in captivity without a permit from Canada Fisheries with evidence that the animal cannot be released due to its condition. This was introduced as a private bill in the Senate and passed, then down to the House of Commons where it unanimously passed fairly quickly. I don't oppose this, but it shows how quickly things can change.
 
Last edited:
Like those vids of the Natural Aquarium store in Seattle...where all the fish are compatible with plants..Something like that. But I would also include African cichlids that have become standards as great aquarium fish. So many other fish? Why? Vampire fish?..just live in aquariums then die as they can't adapt to small boxes.
As far as Marine?..thats a hard one. One positive about reefing is its so expensive to get those tanks looking good, those who keep them at the very least give them the best care the owner can do.
 
Last edited:
There was indeed an EU proposal several years ago but things seem to have been quiet on that for some time now.
 
The animal rights folks, and I applaud their real concern for the well-being of animals when it is within reason, get hold of stuff like this and run with it.

For some groups, I question if there is any concern other than control of the plebes. It's the proverbial Camel Nose in the tent for many, especially when the Gov't gets involved.
 
I think the exploration of new species to be introduced into the aquarium market should be banned and I think all marine fish should be banned. The only fish we should keep are those that can be bred in aquariums, which will stop most of the large fish being kept as well.
 
I could live with itiwetu law. Look at how pitifully bad the record is in marine aquarium fish doing well enough to spawn? Almost all of them also are kept one to an aquarium when they live in shoals in the wild.
The hobby could use modern philosophy of animal keeping not 1959.
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Members online

Back
Top