SHOULD WE KEEP FISH CAUGHT FROM THE WILD?

[mrV]

is it true that most of the botia and some of the catfish species are actualy taken from the wild because they are hard to breed?

E.g. Botia macracanthus(or nowadays it is Chromobotia). Many cories will come from nature, only those easy to breed come from e.g. Asia (C. aeneus, paleatus)

 

[Cheese Specialist]

IMO No. I have some wild fish that I got by accident and from before I knew of the practise.

I think it's massivley cruel. Sorry.

 

[K-Holed]

If they can be tank bred, then yes I think that this is the best way forwars ( I know that tank raised seahorses are MUCh easier to keep than their wild couterparts) but like alot of things, if we stop keeping the wild caught specemins then noone will bother to try and tank raise them. also many species are caught from the wild to conserve the species and sop their extinction due to a decline in their natuiral habitats.

 

[skimpy]

I believe that fish born and reared in an aquarium have only ever know that environment and when we then keep them its all they have been used to. Plus an aquarium life may not have prepared them the same way against predators, so it may be safer that they stay in an aquarium.

Surely fish that are used to the wild and large open spaces would find it hard to be put into an aquarium or into a pond. If someone picked me up and placed me in a foreign country, even though I still had space around me I would be frightened, miss my home, friends, family everything I had been acustomed to or ever know would have gone.

If its hurt or endangered that may be different, but if its well and happy let it be!

 

[mrV]

I believe that fish born and reared in an aquarium have only ever know that environment and when we then keep them its all they have been used to.

If only it would be so easy. "Environment" means water too. Fishes are accumulated certain kind of water and just breeding them in other environment doesn't help. It will take hundreds of years that fishes accumulate differend kind of water. Of course some fishes tolerate large changes in water values like guppies - as they do in nature too - but some fishes don't. Many people have got an image that because some fishes tolerate large scale, so do others. But it's wrong. Otherwise we could easy to keep seawater animals in freshwater - but we can't.

Surely fish that are used to the wild and large open spaces would find it hard to be put into an aquarium or into a pond. If someone picked me up and placed me in a foreign country, even though I still had space around me I would be frightened, miss my home, friends, family everything I had been acustomed to or ever know would have gone.

Key idea is biotope. In aquarium is similar place than place in natur - and it doesn't mean those sculptures, laser lights (called miracle beam or so..) etc...

Plus an aquarium life may not have prepared them the same way against predators, so it may be safer that they stay in an aquarium.

Hmm... what I would say, they, fishes, actually are "on the alert" in aquarium too. They keep in shoal, go hide if something happens accidentally etc.. They don't know that they are in safe place where is no predators near.

 

[Ed4567]

I have no objection to wild caught fish provided that they are taken from a sustainable source (i.e. they are not endangered in the wild) and that the conditions they live in are comparable to those in nature and allow for natural behaviour.

A good example is marine fish which are almost all caught in the wild: I am happy to keep wild caught fish such as clownfish (those species not aquarium bred), firefish and gobies because none of these move any considerable distance from their anenome/ bolt hole/ burrow respectivly in nature; so I can replicate this in an aquarium. However I would not consider keeping tangs or other open ocean swimming fish unless I had a huge aquarium.

This is not to say that I would not choose tank bred specimines if I had a choice, due to improved health etc.

I'm sorry but I do not buy the "it's cruel to take them from a natural environment they have experienced but it's ok to have tank bred fish" arguement. I do not feel wild caught fish think this deeply, or that tank bred fish lose their instincts that govern how stressed they are feeling in relation to their environment (at least in the relativly tiny number of generations that have been bred). Instead both wild caught and tank bred fish are entitled to suitable conditions and environment that meets the needs of their instincts that govern their behaviour and do not change due to being tank bred.

Ed

 

[mrV]

A good example is marine fish which are almost all caught in the wild: I am happy to keep wild caught fish such as clownfish (those species not aquarium bred), firefish and

By the way, do you ask from your lfs how those fishes have been catched before you buy them? Good way or bad way (<- using e.g. cyanide).

 

[3fsh]

Very interesting debate, but I have a couple of points to add:

* How can we preserve fish in the wild unless we first study them up close? If we don't know what they eat, how they eat, where they live, etc. then we will not be able to know what's wrong if they start dying off.

* How can an aquarium be "cruel" to a wild fish? (As long as it is the right size and properly maintained.) Think about this... they have free food 24/7, primo water conditions, friends to play with (or chase), and constant care and attention.

I think the true issue here is that of people being cruel to their fish. ie.- Putting them in tanks that are too small, dirty, not feeding them enough. As long as the fish is not endangered and is being caught humanely, I see no problem with it.

 

[CFC]

I think another point that so many people are missing is that the aquarium enviroment is a hell of a lot safer than being in the wild, wild fish face the danger of being somethings lunch many times in a single day where as aquarium fish provided they have a responsible owner need never worry about predators again.

 

[Jae1525]

I feel I must reiterate my point that the companies and people they employ to gather the fish from rivers, lakes and oceans should be held responsible for replenishing the stock. Until they have the neccessary means and understanding to breed them in a captive environment they dont have a right to disturb natures balance! It might seem insignificant that a few fish are being taken, but on the grand scale of things the environment will be effected in some way maybe an increase in mosqito lava due to a decrease in the fish population and then an outbreak of malaria. (as a harsh example)

If these people figured out how to breed them in captive then they could open fish farms so we would get captive bread, dissease free fish and that would also decrease the ammount of fish lost during shipping! They could also maintain wild stocks with the excess!

 

[Jae1525]

I suppose another point is that they have nearly fished the north sea out of cod and nothing much is being done to sustain the population! Instead they look for different verieties of fish to consume further disrupting natures ballance.

I say "they" because I refuse to eat fish as it would make me a hypocrite if I ate fish as well as looked after them! They would all be watching me eating their long lost brothers infront of the TV!

I suppose at the end of the day its better to be kept in a tank than eaten!

 

[coconutman39]

i think that only people that have caught wild bettas before and own a section where they have a personal supply of "wild" bettas should be able to catch them, as for foreigners i say no.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

What bothers me is not the fact that a fish is removed from it's natural environment and kept in an aquarium, it's the method of removal.
Captured Marine fish (I don't believe this applies to freshwater though) are usually caught after the surrounding water has been poisoned, killing off other fish, the surrounding reef, and usually later on the captured fish.
Not worth it in my opinion.

 

[canarsie11]

If someone caught a zebra plec, I would take it, I know others would also, even one who said no

 

[KnuckleHead]

If it wasnt for wild caught fish, the aquarium trade would virtually be non existant. Wild caught fish are needed to keep the domestic strains strong and true to form. Take for instance the angel fish. If breeders such as I didnt bring in wild blood, the quality of our stock would begin to diminish. The're bodies may become oblong, chopped looking fins. Of course this wouldnt happen overnight but it will happen eventually. Then theres the argument about fish missing theyre friends, family, etc etc.. Im sorry but that argument is bogus. You cant apply human emotions to fish. think about this for a minute. You go to a farm and see a bunch of cute little kittens hanging around a barn. Would you take one even though its feral (wild)? If you had the means of course you would.