Native And Invasive Species

[lloyd]

Since planning my pond i have been thinking of alot of different species to keep and it has got me wondering that why is it some species are banned from importing into the uk and some are not. i no it sounds like a sily question but if you think about it, it doesnt make sence to ban some species of fish that can survive in our climate but let in others.

the way i see it, some of the fish we cant keep here are american sunfish,northern snakeheads, chinese sailfin suckers amonsgt a lot more however they still let us keep things like grass carp, different sterlets and sturgeons, weatherloach and even gold fish. unless im mistakien even tench and carp arent native british fish but it is still ok to trade them.

some people might think it is a boring topic to discuss but i just think its strange that there is this law for some and not for others.

maybe there is something im missing but hopefully some one might be able to put me right.

 

[nurglespuss]

Hey there

Some species (such as carp and tench etc.) have been imported into the UK for such a long time as to have essentially become a ubiquitous part of certain eco-systems (much as the various deer species, rabbits and connifers have).

The reasons behind some banned species are varied, some are relatively 'new' species with an unknown impact on local ecosystems (and so the environmental agency etc. wish to avoid having to experience this impact), some species are known disease vectors that could affect resident fish stocks and others are predatory species that would unbalance ecosystems and deny 'native' fish food/territory etc.

Another reason is also, the source of the import, as is seen with many Koi (and fishery) carp imports, some less scrupulous/capable countries provide substandard/diseased fish, which must then be destroyed (and often any UK based stock that has been in contact subsequently destroyed or expensively treated.

In other words, there are many species that have 'become' residential species in the past, that are still undesireable, but are now outside of reasonable/viable control. And others still that must always be controlled (Deer and now Boar).

Hope that helps

 

[soybean]

Damage limitation! Some species may have more of an effect on ecosystems than others.

 

[lloyd]

ok then thanks for that. 1 fish i cant seem to find any laws about is the burbot. to my understanding it is actually a ntive british fish that is now extinct in our waters. i think they are quite coomon however in other countrys. does anybody now if it is legal to import them and if any body actual does sell them in the uk

 

[MBOU]

http/www.iowas.co.uk/licence.html

The following is a list of species which require a licence to keep in England. This list is for information only and if you are in any doubt whatsoever, it is best to contact DEFRA and enquire. Further information can be obtained by visiting the following link:

http/www.defra.gov.uk/fish/freshwater/nonnative.htm#SPECIES

SPECIES ALREADY ON THE LIST FOR ENGLAND

Abramis ballerus

Acipenser sp., Huso sp.
Scaphirhynchus sp.
Pseudoscaphirhynchus sp.
and hybrids

Alburnoides bipunctatus

Ambloplites rupestris

Ameiurus sp.


Aspius aspius

Chalcaburnus chalcoides

Chrondrostoma nasus

Chrondrostoma toxostoma

Ctenopharyngodon idella

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Ictalurus sp.


Leuciscus souffia

Lota lota

Micropterus salmoides

Mylopharyngodon piceus

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Oncorhynchus sp.

Polyodon spathula
and Psephurus gladius

Pseudorasbora parva

Rhodeus sericeus

Salmo salar

Silurus sp.


Stizostedion sp.

Vimba vimba



Blue Bream

}
} Sterlets and
} Sturgeons
}

Schneider

Rock Bass

Coldwater Ameiurid catfishes, including the Bullhead, Ameirus nebulosus

Asp

Danubian Bleak

Nase

Toxostome or French Nase

Grass Carp

Silver Carp

Coldwater Ictalurid catfishes, including the Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

Blageon

Burbot

Large-mouthed Bass

Black or Snail-eating Carp

Rainbow Trout or Steelhead

Pacific Trout

Paddlefishes


Clicker Barb or Topmouth Gudgeon

Bitterling

Non-anadromous, landlocked Salmon

Coldwater Silurid catfishes including the Wels, Silurus glanis

Zander

Vimba

AMENDED LIST FOR ENGLAND

Barbus sp.


Catostomus commersoni

Channa argus

Coregonus sp.


Cycleptus elongatus

Cyprinella (Notropsis) lutrensis

Esox sp.

Hucho sp.

Lepomis sp.


Leucaspius delineatus

Misgurnus fossilis

Morone sp.

Myxocyprinus asiaticus

Perca sp.


Phoxinus (Chrosomus) eos

Phoxinus (C.) erythrogaster

Pimephales promelas

Rhinichthys atratulus

Salmo marmoratus

Salvelinus sp.



Umbra krameri

Umbra pygmaea

Zacco platypus

Barbel species, excluding the native Barbus barbus

Common White Sucker

Northern Snakehead

Whitefishes, excluding the native species C. lavaretus and C. albula

Blue Sucker

Red Shiner or Rainbow Dace

Pikes, excluding the native E. lucius

Danubian Salmon or Taimen

Pumpkinseeds, Sunfish, Sunbass, Crappies, Bluegills and other Lepomis species.

Motherless Minnow

Weather Loach

Striped bass, White Bass and Morone hybrids

Chinese Sailfin Sucker

Perch species excluding the native P. fluviatilis

Northern Red-belly Dace

Southern Red-belly Dace

Rosy Red Minnow or Fathead Minnow

Blacknose Dace

Marbled Trout

Charr species, including the American Brook Trout, but excluding the native Salvelinus alpinus

European Mudminnow

Eastern Mudminnow

Pale Chub



Application forms for the keeping and/or release of non-native fish can be obtained from:

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
Fish Health Inspectorate
Weymouth Laboratory
The Nothe
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 8UB.

Tel: 01305 206673 / 6674; Fax: 01305 206602
Email: fish.health.inspectorate@cefas.co.uk

or from the Defra forms pages.

Application for a licence to be issued under the Import of Fish (England & Wales) Act 1980 and/or the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Obviously some of the above are under different legislations, like the rainbow dace and grass carp and the sterlets and sturgeons etc... its the shops that need the license to import and sell them (to keep track of them when imported and numbers of them) rather than the customer, other species you would either need a license yourself to keep or they are banned outright..

To be honest, we have a lot of availability lists and generally they are really poor in terms of species...

 

[MBOU]

Burbot the freshwater​ cod




Burbot (lota lota) This is the only freshwater species of the cod family (Gadus morhua) probably or most definitely now sadly extinct from British waters. The last known sighting was sometime during the 1960s somewhere in southern England (although the exact location was never disclosed) where it was once inhabitant. Although still plentiful in North America and parts of europe and eurasia.

In 2008 an attempt to reintroduce burbot into british waters was blocked by DEFRA due to the fear of also introducing foriegn parasites (Gyrodactylus salaris) that may have been present on the fish. It aws suggested that the fish be kept for 24 hours in a saltwater solution that would kill any parasites, but of course this would also have killed the fish! Unfortunately, as yet, no other attempt has been forhtcoming.


It is characterized by a barbel on each nostril as well as one on the chin. It feeds mostly at night on fish and invertabrates and breeds from December to March, laying batches of eggs in river shallows. Not as big as its saltwater cousin and growing to just over 3ft (100cm) and weighing 53lb (24kg).

Pretty easy to search for CEFAS and DEFFRA are very helpful.

Basically, you'd never get them through the aiport/docks after checked by
DEFFRA because the risk of importing foreign parasites. Even if you could, they arent pond fish, they need very deep and fast flowing water, if they got wiped out in the UK waterways, you definately wont be able to replicate its habitat in a pond.

Sorry!

 

[lloyd]

thats a long list. thanks for the help. it looks like goldfish for me then

 

[Crossfire]

As a Maryland native, I absolutely agree with banning the selling or import of certain fish species that can be harmful to the local ecosystem. Here in Maryland, inexpierianced fishkeepers would have snakeheads, and then when they got too big, released them into the Potomac River and other Chesepeake Bay tributaries. I have a beef with all snakeheads, little #19###s. The Chesepeake and its tributaries were already suffering from pollution from the upper states (Pennsylvania, New York) since Marylanders take extreme caution not to pollute our livelihoods (crabbing, fishing, etc), and then now we have a snakehead epidemic that's killing the local wildlife. It's very noticeable. Heck, even the SyFy channel made a B-movie about monster snakeheads. Maryland law requires that any northern snakehead caught is to be killed and cataloged, and on no account released back into the wild.

Just one fish can ruin a whole ecosystem. Would you take that chance?

 

[MBOU]

Still interesting species knocking about!

I joined the shop im working at in late October/November so didnte get much of a look at our pond fish before everything was covered for winter (and heavily covered as its regularly been hitting -14!

But i know we have a vat full of Gudgeon! Not sure on which species though... but they look cool! Though expect in a deep pond, you'd never see them grubbing about the bottom.

How about a big Stickleback pond? Would be epic to choose a species of Stickleback and breed them in a pond but then you could keep a few indoors in a tank to breed so you can watch them colour up and display. They are gorgeous!!

 

[lloyd]

to be honest im thinking about keeping rudd, crucian carp and perch. stickle backs would be a nice idea though. with the perch it restricts the small fish i could keep but i have always loved them