Indigenous fish

I remember back in the days of the magazine there were some articles on indigenous fish.
I know it is illegal to keep them, and I fully agree that not just anybody should go to our rivers and further deplete the already small populations. ( Oh yes, for our Gauteng members, there is actually suppose to be fish in those water driven garbage disposal systems ).
But can it not be beneficial to the dwindling populations if registered licensed enthusiast set up breeding communities, the focus being breeding and not just keeping.
Your thoughts please.

 

Hi Rodger
I agree wholeheartedly - It would need to be monitored, but I think that we the public should do that monitoring

 

Fully agree, I have tried to get a list of fish from our local "Nature Conservation" characters that are genuinely indigenous to the Eastern Cape..... Mmmm well, that was an education all on its own..... And an excercise in diplomacy and patience!!!!!

But a great idea, let the enthusiast manage the resources.....
My guess is that you intend to breed and release??

 

That is the theory, but also preserving the genetics, possibly to release at a later stage once pollution, bass, development and whatever issues been cleared up.

 

Guys I doubt the "aquarium hobby" is large enough in SA to negatively impact most local fish spices the most likely problem is people messing around with genetics by releasing fish in different geographical populations ... I personally have collected/bred plenty of local fish and most of them are extremely ugly anyway(oh and yes I had a license even though it was on my own property)

what I would be interested in is our local pleco type fish(and no not the ones in durban) has anyone ever seen any?

 

I've spent some time searching tributaries of Olifants for A.gilli or A.barnardi with no sucses.Im planning to go back in spring to a site where local farm workers sweared there were many.I just wanne see them. I have seen synodontis in streams north of Vaalwater.Also verry pretty barbs and lampeys there.Also saw rock-catfish near Gariepdam.I agree with Eskimo aquarists would make very little differance to population no's. The barbs i cought near Vaalwater where not to difficult to breed.Lampeys not easy. LAW is Law so that is that.

 

I would also like to see a program set up that "rescues" unwanted fish before they are dumped into our rivers. There was a post here about pleco invasion a few months back, pleco's dumped into rivers when they have out grown the tank, and the havoc that was caused by this.

Does anyone know of any dedicated research don on the introduction of tropical / alien fish into our waterways, and the effect it has had??

 

Well theoretically the blacklist is suppose to prevent the importation of fish that can survive our temp changes. But that is just theoretical. Best idea might be for petshops and wholesalers to be involved in kind of a reverse logistics exercise, but if they can not make money out of it and it is not a legal obligation that will never happen. But yes I think its a great idea, after habitat destruction, introduction of foreign species is the greatest threat to our local fish, just thinking of white spot, red eared slider turtles, bass, trout, carp and goldfish.

 

I would like to see a group formed, under the TASA banner, or some other, to police the problem.. Our Nature Conservation seems to be focusing their attention mainly on the perlemoen problem, and not on the inland waterways. I know for a fatc the there is a group of "Bass Masters" that were intent on introducing Bass into a lake in PE, although a man made one, for the veiw of holding tournaments there in a few years time. This i find a bit irresponsible and especially for an "International Bass Fishing Association" who are hell bent on conservation!!!!!!!! When i aproached a Nature Conservation "Official" and told him of this, he just said that they can do nothing about it without evidence...... They are really a joke!!!!!

On a lighter note, I was thinking of releasing a few of my Jaguar Cichlids into the lake too, then lets see how long the bass last!!!!! My only problem would be the removal of the Jags when they have fixed the problem.......

 

under SA law it is illegal to transport live fish (yes this includes your drive home from the LFS) without the correct permits. everytime a trout hatchery needs to move a batch of fish to a dam they need some hectic permits.

Bass is on the invasive list - if those guys introduce the fish you need to go the police and insist on open a case.

 

What I can’t understand is way catch and release is not illegal for trout and bass. Sure the tourist industry based on fishing will take a knock in a couple of years time, but if you look at St Lucia in KZN, it started out because of sport fishing and was sustained and grew on this industry for 30/40 years. This industry is most probably the smallest money spinner in this town now, people got inventive and kept the tourists busy with other attractions.

 

It is illegal actually.... technically

 

Ok, I will have a look under the SA.Acts website, I am a SAP Reservist, so can do the paperwork myself, but do you know which act etc they would be charged??

I have no problem in doing the paperwork, would be nice to send the word out that there is someone that isnt taking bull...

 

you will have to search them.... or ask one of the enviromental groups

 

u capetonians i know there is a ban on carp that has been caught in the teewaterskloof dam in the cape to be released back in the system. all carp must be taken out of dam if caught.

i live in potch and in our mooiriver in town bass has taken over and the yellowfish and gilli's that we used to catch are scarce nowadays.

has anybody kept bluekurper? (lets asume u had a permit)