ok ive just listened to the piece and im currently climbing up on my soapbox while putting on my ranting hat!!
i dont know if this organisation is related to PETA or not but they sound as though they are on the same mission. first thing i want to cover is education:
education is the key to managing a lot of our probs. as discussed on this website, a lot of lfs can be misleading and money hungry. instead of properly teaching someone about cycling, about the biological processes of tanks, about stocking, feeding, changing water etc most lfs will just sell whatever they can to make a sale. people walk out of there with their first tank, fish, filter whatever realli not knowing exactly what they are dealing with. people must be educated if we expect any of these animals to survive past their first week of ownership. here in australia PETA campaign to keep animals out of pet shops as too many end up in the pound. and yes, this is true but this is a drastic measure being enforced by people who dont dare think outside their own little bubble. dont get me wrong, i looove animals...many of my fish and my two dogs are rescues however there needs to be a little bit of a balance reached. no matter how much such people get up on their soapbox, irresponsible people cannot and will not be changed. the guy from the aquarium even talks about eduation and awareness and these things cannot be overlooked when arguing a subject like this. they are of major importance.
now im not saying i agree with fish being taken out of the wild however, we fish from the seas to eat and this ultimately leads to the very quick death of the fish. fish taken from the wild for breeding or hobbyists have just as good a chance at life in a nice tank as they do in waters where they are subject to predators etc i personally try and buy fish from work or one of three other fish shops around as i know where these fish come from and they come from local farms that breed. there are certain fish we dont keep as they dont breed well in captivity but all that we keep are bred in local farms.
catching and keeping wild fish has enabled people to study the fish and find out more about them. this is hugely important not only for keeping them in tanks but also preservation with regards to their natural environment.
then they talk about space. now some people ay agree and some may not but with fish like bettas for example...my fella here in his 5g tank is still in a home that is considerably larger than a cows hoofprint that they inhabit in thailand etc its cleaner, its roomier and he has a much more constant supply of food and care than any betta would get in the swamps.
space can be an issue at places where zoos pack animals in small enclosures and other such examples. but not everywhere is like this and i think these are the ones that deserve the respect for providing great living spaces. i lived in a tiny bedsitter flat once and i had no one campaigning about the fact that i had small living quarters, rough noisy neighbours who on occasion harassed me and to top it off it was a dirty stinky place that i paid three times more than it was worth to live in it. this to me was cruel on myself but people just have to accept it but NO ONE gives a rats that people are sometimes living under the same conditions as the animals that they jump up and down about. i know animals cant talk for themselves but on the most part, fish and any other animal can live a perfectly happy life in a tank.
conservation is hugely important of our animals from fish to the orangutang losing its home for cosmetics. i agree these are huge issues but basically (and correct me if im wrong) we are being told that keeping fish or any animal for that matter is wrong, cruel etc but lets target the asian whalers or the many other groups slaughtering sharks for their fins or some other animal for something they have. lets face it, there are bigger issues out there than people keeping a fish tank and for all intent and purpose live a very happy life.
before this turns into a small essay im going to stop. i dont think i really have explained it how i want to anyway
basically what it comes down to for me is that i feel extreme activism is uncalled for. i think education and awareness of these animals needs etc is highly important. i do believe that we must consider the effects we have on the environment but as a person who keeps fish in clean, well designed tanks with plenty of good food etc i believe we can strike a balance with nature. and i certainly dont believe that all fish show the behavioural traits mentioned on the radio. what about my tetras that school happily together...swimming up and down and playing in this and playing in that. my bn plec who decided he was happy enough to spawn with one of my girls. what about my kuhli loaches that wrap themseles around some plant and hang out or play in that plant?? or my female betta who i have had for three and a half years who was 9 m,onths old when i got her?? seems thats a pretty long life for a betta and im sure she wouldnt live that long if she wasnt happy and healthy.
i think another course of action is needed and that is as i have said before (and it wont be the last time i say it) but that course is education. its knowledge...knowledge is power and by giving people the knowledge to keep fish right then we are giving them the power to give their fishies long, healthy lives.
will prob edit soon cause ill think of something else to say
off my soapbox and rant over...for now hehe
/www.science.nus.edu.sg/~webdbs/biod...arium_more.html
