NEWS112
5
the wild and hence represents an active contribution to
environmental and species conservation. For such people the
range of "standard" species in the pet trade is completely
adequate, and 300 species of ornamental fishes and perhaps 30
speciesof reptilesandamphibiansquiteadequate.
But that isn'tenough foracertainpercentageofpeople.Theseare
almost always theabove-mentionedpeoplewhoalready showed
anaffinity for cold-bloodedcreaturesduring their childhood.They
arekeentoperformgenuineresearchwork,tostudythe lifehistory
ofaspecies,andultimately tounderstandwhatmakesNature tick,
as the saying goes. They are attracted by the idea of getting to
know new creatures and breeding them.Theymay develop into
researchers who discover new species and are capable of
performingground-breaking studies that for the first timepermit
conservationof species in thewild.
Free trade inanimalsmustcontinue!
In order for all this to take place a relatively unrestricted trade in
wild animals must be possible. Obviously this trade must take
concerns regarding species conservation and animal welfare into
account,but itmust alsobeclearly stated that todatenot a single
The Pumpkinseed Sunfish -
Lepomis gibbosus
- was imported as an
"angelfish" from North America to France in 1877. Nowadays this
invasive species is regardedas a "weed fish" inwidepartsof Europe.
TheEasternCrayfish,
Orconectes limosus,
isan invasive species inCentral
andWestern Europe. It is a carrier of Crayfish Plague and has caused
considerableharm.The specieswas imported toGermanyand released
into thewild in1890 - not byaquarists!
