Stop Importing Dyed Fish! My Letter......

[Danno]

You forgot laser dyeing

 

[lilmisshertz]

Hi again.
Thanks for pointing that out. I understand its probably not going to have any affect, but anythings worth a go. Who would be best to send it to also?
Thanks Arfie. Your letter actually outlined how they dye fish, and that was helpful with this letter. I've just written it in my own words, so it doesn't sound like its just been
printed out and given to people to send. Plus I tend to write my own, as many others I can relate to, but wouldn't be able to quote from it if I didnt write it personally, If you see my point lol.
Thanks for all the advice, it's very appreciated

 

[Danno]

You know that dyed fish are completely legal right? Fish stores can sell as many as they want. Pickiting them will only make them laugh at you.

 

[Arfie]

The reason I suggested that you read the whole thread is because the animal welfare bill went through and did not ban the import of dyed fish. And as Dyed fish are legal in Europe and we have a free market with Europe they apparently cannot ban the import of them as this would be a restriction of trade. The ban needs to be introduced Europewide. This has been explained a little more fully in some of the replies received and posted in that thread.

As I've said before if anyone wants to do a similar letter to the MEPs that would be great I'm sure Matt Clarke at PFK would lend his support to the fight and he may even have started petitioning europe himself

Arfie

 

[Danno]

I read the thread, but i'm pretty sure that at the next meeting of the EU will not be about dyeing fish

 

[lilmisshertz]

Danno, I know its legal but my point is that its just one of many things that shouldn't be. and while I'm certain the next meeting of the EU wont concern dyed fish, I was just doing my part. I cant just sit about and do nothing Anythings worth a go???

Screamingmonkey - i do see your point, and while nothing will probably come of this, I wanted to do it anyway, I am not really one to figure out whos the best person to send this to, but thats why I posted it, to see if you lot could advise me

Well thanks for all your input

 

[Arfie]

I read the thread, but i'm pretty sure that at the next meeting of the EU will not be about dyeing fish

Thanks once again for your input Danno, constructive as always

I must say though that for a resident of NY, you seem to be very knowledgable about the european legal system and it's workings and as such I'd be interested to hear your opinions as to what we could do that may have a positive result as unfortunately your advice currently seems to be limited to what wont work. Someone with your level of expertise in european law and animal welfare must surely be able to construct some plan that will have a better chance of success than sitting on your ass doing nothing

Arfie

 

[lilmisshertz]

I read the thread, but i'm pretty sure that at the next meeting of the EU will not be about dyeing fish

Thanks once again for your input Danno, constructive as always

I must say though that for a resident of NY, you seem to be very knowledgable about the european legal system and it's workings and as such I'd be interested to hear your opinions as to what we could do that may have a positive result as unfortunately your advice currently seems to be limited to what wont work. Someone with your level of expertise in european law and animal welfare must surely be able to construct some plan that will have a better chance of success than sitting on your ass doing nothing

Arfie

Ouch, that was some harsh words said there arfie!!
I want to know that I at least tried to raise the issue, whether it has an outcome or not. At least I'll have felt like I tried, and as Arfie said, not just sitting "around" doing nothing

 

[Danno]

I read the thread, but i'm pretty sure that at the next meeting of the EU will not be about dyeing fish

Thanks once again for your input Danno, constructive as always

I must say though that for a resident of NY, you seem to be very knowledgable about the european legal system and it's workings and as such I'd be interested to hear your opinions as to what we could do that may have a positive result as unfortunately your advice currently seems to be limited to what wont work. Someone with your level of expertise in european law and animal welfare must surely be able to construct some plan that will have a better chance of success than sitting on your ass doing nothing

Arfie

What that suppost to be a slang that I am useless?

Just because I have a different view of dyeing fish and its legalities does not mean that while one person is gung-ho con that one person can't say that it is a bit extreme.

Thanks once can got your input arfie, for putting words in my mouth that weren't there.

Maybe writing to Defra would be a better idea, seeing that LPS will just throw it out.

 

[Arfie]

No is wasn't supposed to imply you are useless, it was highlighting the fact that so far your input has been negative.

Nice bit of mimicry there, but for the record I put no words in your mouth read it again

We wouldn't know what your vews are on dyed fish as you didn't bother state your position on the subject. Of course you are entitled to whatever opnion you wish to have and at least if we know that you are in support of dying fish we'd know how to treat your opinions in future.

Thanks for the suggestion of DEFRA, but unfortunately this is UK agency and as I've explained, the law needs to be changed at european level.

Arfie

 

[Danno]

Well if you haven't gotten my opinion i'll sum it up in a nut shell: as long as people want dyed fish the producers have a demand to fill. If people are informed about how they are dyed they may change their mind. Personally I don't like the looks of dyed fish as I like the earthly real look to aquarium. "Aquarium Designs" (a Barron book) has some amazing pictures of 'taken out of the wild shots'. If people knew that you could make an amazing tank so simply, no one would want dyed fish.

Ideas spead from country to country very quickly. Lots of policies that you can I know are adopted from different ones. Law wise, no one is unique. Starting small and working big would be the best plan of actions.

 

[Arfie]

The problem with educating people about them is that dyed fish are mainly (though not exclusively) bought by newbies and as we all know newbies don't even research how to keep any fish alive when they start in the hobby, they just buy what the lfs let them. They don't know that they are purchasing an artificially coloured fish until it's too late, once it's bought the "demand" has been satisfied so more fish will be brought it ad infinitum.

The only way I can see to stop this happening is making them illegal to bring into this country as it is already illegal to dye fish in the UK so they wouldn't be sold to unknowing newbies. Of course some people will want dyed fish and they will find a way of getting them and like drugs/guns etc there will be no way of stopping those determined on getting them, but at least they could be prosecuted.

I agree with starting small, which is why I originally started sending the letter to my local MP to try and get representitive support to get the law changed in the UK as the Animal Welfare bill was going through at that time and the hope was to get an amendment added to it, to get the import banned too. Sadly it cannot be changed at local level due to complexities of european trade laws, so the only other option is to try and get European law altered, you see?

This may all fail, who knows? But it may also work If nobody tries to change it though, nothing will change, it's that simple.

The only other way we can directly have an impact is to avoid lfs that stock them. You may well think that picketing or boycotting a shop will make them laugh at you, but not if you tell them why you are no longer shopping there and point out how much money they are losing from yoru custom alone, let alone that of all the friends and fellow fishkeepers that you will be telling about the fact that they support torturing fish by stocking them.

Arfie

 

[Danno]

Do you know any politicians? They might have some connections. That is the ebst thing I can suggest at the moment. They might have some phone numbers or addresses that you can contact.

 

[helterskelter]

Get quote from Dr Peter Burgess and he could let u know of other people willing to add quotes.

Email him at AquaticsDoctor(at)aol.com (this is his public addy not his private so may take a while to reply)