It doesn't look good for cichlids in Australia

[Mike Wise]

I just got an email from a long-time friend in Australia. It doesn't look good for cichlids, livebearers and anabantids in Australia. It was bad before, but if this goes into effect, then ... well just read: http://www.perthcichlid.com.au/forum/index.php?showtopic=34582. So all of our friends in Oz - if you got 'em, breed 'em.

 

[Rod]

Thanks Mike,

Being a developed country there is always someone wanting to change the rules.....but History has shown we have had a succession of governments who chase votes.....

Given this fact + having kept fish for well over 40 years....I've seen my fair share of doomsday prophets

I think in the end there will be a lot of wheel spin....if any Government had the "balls" to do the right thing they would have banned a lot of commercially viable species years ago(guppies/goldfish/mouthbreeding cichlids)......but they haven't

Having said that....I'm fortunate to have lived in a Golden era and have kept most species I have desired(but still have a few to go)

They can ban what they like....I'll roll with the punches....and if the worst happens and they ban everything....I love native species too!!!!

 

[Sinbad]

On the upside, the entire genus of Apisogramma has always been a permitted import, and at this point in time it remains so. I hope it continues to be !

Most of the Cichlids which are under review by the Government agencies are the larger African and South American fish, not dwarfs.
Blind Freddy could see that this process of review and scrutiny by OFMIG (Ornamental Fish Management Implementation Group) would occur at some point, due to the indiscriminate liberation of exotic species into waterways by people dumping aquarium stock that they no longer want.

The fear is that these alien species will displace and out compete fish which are native to this country, and subsequently result in the loss of those native species. The review is not limited to Cichlids only, quite the contrary.
The families, orders, genus and species which will be reviewed and classified as being permitted, restricted, licenced, totally banned, declared noxious etc is very extensive.

 

[Mike Wise]

I think that you didn't understand the discussion on the Aussie site. Nothing new will be banned. The proposed law wants part of every fish species in every shipment to undergo necropsy. This will destroy a large part of every shipment entering the country. This will raise prices out of site on some of the rarer species - especially those shipped into the country in small quantities, like discus and apistos.

 

[Noddy65]

Thats correct Mike...theres two BIG issues currently going through the review/lawmakers desks

1)Changes to the allowable import list....with the possibility that many new species will be added to the banned list

2)Increased testing for those species that are allowed in....in some cases they will test (ie sacrifice) 95% of a shipment...this effectively adds those species to the banned list as well. In addition each test will cost around $100 per fish so the price for those few species that do make it through will make it prohibitively expensive, again effectively adding them to the list of species that wont be imported.

All bad news for the local fish keepers.

Mike

 

[Sinbad]

Hi Mike,

I read your post at the top of this page but didn't actually click on the link to Perth Cichlid Society's forum and the discussion about batch testing of imports. I mistakenly assumed that your post about things not looking good for Cichlids in Australia was in relation to the recent activities of OFMIG,(Ornamental Fish Management Implementation Group) which is itself an issue causing grave concern to to the aquarium hobby and industry. This topic is presently very widely talked about on several forums in Australia.

My apologies for the incorrect assumption. The OFMIG matter has been occupying a lot of my thinking over the last couple of months and when I read your post, I have "jumped the gun"
While the batch testing may have a far more immediate impact, the proposals and intentions of OFMIG certainly have the potential to be of no less consequence to industry and aquarists. Both of these matters deserve the attention and active input of opinion from all serious aquarists in this country.
Below are links which will give some background and information about OFMIG and its charter.

http://auscichlids.com/forum/index.php?board=134.0

http://auscichlids.com/forum/index.php?topic=1533

 

[Rod]

Certainly the proposed increased testing is a bigger issue for Dwarf cichlid keepers than the increase in noxious species....

However the legislation does say NO testing is necessary if species come from countries where the megalocytiviruses of concern don't exist...???

This may mean dwarf cichlids will have to come from Germany....not Asia??
Sure they are more expensive if they come from Germany....but if they are disease free the increased cost may be Good value!!

Perhaps we need to treat the species we have more carefully....get better organised(to maintain species we have!!)

I've never let a public servant think they have got the better of me......and I'm not going to start now!!!

 

[mummymonkey]

I'd have thought the climate in Australia would allow commercial fish breeding?

 

[bigbird]

Hi,

your presumption is correct, there are some commercial breeders up in the norther part of Queensland and Northern Territories. The biggest issue in Australia I find is the lack of certain types of Apistos or other Cichlids etc. There are two issues, some might be on the import ban list and the other issue is the retailer knowing the market and what will sell. I recently spoke to a LFS owner and he had a pair of Apisto elizabeth for AUD190 for sale. He would however rather sell Borellis or Cacs as they are easier to get and they sell better. I have been looking for Uaru and Cupido with no luck at all. As I love my Apistos I always try to look out for rarer types, but cost also plays a big role as well. So commercially viable for our breeders up north is difficult, because you compete with the Asian breeders and also from Europe.
Cheers jk
PS I still am however a firm believer that up north we must have in one of the many freshwater creeks a dwarf cichlid or Apisto...I must look one day