Releasing of pets into the wild

[budak]

Many pet and animal lovers, though well-intentioned, often release their fish, turtles, other reptiles and pets into the "wild". There are also those who buy animals to release and earn "merit."

Unfortunately, few understand that this practice produces unhappy results for both the released creature and the natural wildlife in our Reserves and Waterways. Already, sucker catfish, cichlids, livebearers, bichirs, red-tail cats and other non-native fishes are crowding out space in the waters from the snakeheads, barbs, rasboras, gouramis, bettas and numerous other native species.

I do hope the members here will take note of what they do with regard to creatures they are no longer in the position to take care of. I know some here take the trouble to ensure that their pets find a good new owner; if this is not possible, I do hope the alternative of donating the animal to your favourite LFS will be considered.

The linked short article gives some further thoughts on this subject. Do share your views and experiences on this, and I hope all will learn something....

[juggler]

What about those of us who buy wild fishes? In recent years, there's been keen interest in rare/wild S.E.Asian Rasboras or South American Apistos.

Most of us are responsible in keeping the fish. But if more people buy them, won't that encourage the capture of more of such wild fish and ultimately wiping out their numbers in the wild?

Hopefully some breeder can breed such fish for sale like Neon Tetras so that there's no more capture of wild-caught Neon Tetras.

The Red-eared Terrapin are really a nuisance. Every water hole on our island seem to be teeming with them. LFS sure won't take back a grown up Terrapin as everyone only find the baby ones "cute". Maybe should encourage folks to give it to the local turtle soup stall instead?

Education should be the key. We should teach our children of pet responsibility. And let our friends know as well.

[budak]

I am of two minds about wild fish. Their very existence in the hobby could be said to help aquarists become aware of the sheer biodiversity around them (all those species of rasboras, boraras, bettas, paros, crypts, shrimp, etc) and hopefully understand the need to conserve them and their habitats. Further upstream, I do think that it is preferable that a natural resources can be utilised sustainably as it is, rather than destroyed wholesale for something like a dam, estate or golf course. The problem in this region is that fish collection is neither regulated or seen as a valid economic activity (unlike in Brazil, where the practice is regulared to maintain sustainable stocks). If the interests of collectors/governments can be aligned in such a way that the economic benefits of maintaining wetlands and swamps can be reaped over the long term, that would be ideal. But the main barrier presently is that the lands in which the fish dwell belong to nobody in particular (economists call this the tragedy of the commons, whereby if a resource belongs to nobody, everybody will seek to exploit it to the full, since there is no owner who would try to utilise it sustainably), and authorities seem blind to alternative models of economic diversification apart from golf courses, dams, plantations, logging concessions and other big projects.

On the personal level, how many of us, I wonder, would actually dare to stop people from releasing animals (or catching them)?

[ranmasatome]

okay so i was stumbling over the forums and stumbled here...i read the post and i can't agree with Budak more. i personally feel that education is really the key to preservation. Even though the population in singapore is very educated, i dare say not many are weary of the consequences of releaseing their pets or the conservation status of each country. i'm also sad cos' besides the scientist and conservationist only a handful (relatively) of people even care. okay so this view is kinda grim, but maybe its cos' these people don't know any better, or maybe it could be just that they really prefer to be sitting in air-con rooms with fake walls and looking at a computer the whole darn day (i really have no prejudice against this..its an example stereotype). The problem i see is one that has to do with the speed of monetary aqusition. Authorities probably would want to aquire financial aid to their own countries...and they want to do this with utmost speed...the faster one aquires such a resource...the better they are able to upkeep the economy and population needs etc. etc. etc. hence the big projects like golf courses etc.etc. To them, i feel that conservational work just takes tooooooo long to reap any returns, but i feel that they have not really seen the big picture. I feel that many authorities have failed to see the importance of our environment as a whole. Everything is linked and ultimately i really believe that one day, if humans decide to continue as they have, we would be our own end. Take note that í'm not saying no one cares...just that no one cares enough to give this topic any good chance. Its like when i'm drooling over the chocolate cake that you are eating...and out of pity you give me a crumb...to me, i wonder why anyone would even do that...its not like you are going to give me a bite out of that cake anytime soon, its just so that you can say you gave me some of the cake. This being the case, i have not lost hope becuase i feel that this is what all conservationist must have however bleak the situation cos' when we have lost hope, we have lost the fight althogether. As for stopping people from releasing pets, i don't know if i will do it...i probably will say something but i doubt the "uncle" would understand my logic or way of thinking and think i'm some smart @$$ and i would probably end up getting beaten...becuase he was releasing his precious arrowana "luck" fish into MacRitchie.