PlanetCatfish.com

My aquarium shop told me that after 1 Jan 2005, Brazil will suspend the export of Brazil Aquarium Fish. Is it really or not?? If this is true, we cant buy the wild fish from Brazil, Peru and Columba!!
Thanks a lot!!

If this is true, we cant buy the wild fish from Brazil, Peru and Columba!!

why couldn't you buy them from peru and columbia?

it might be true since many brazilian species are at risk of extinction. there are some plecos on their list. check it out.

http://www.gep.cttmar.univali.br/utilid ... _extin.php

Agreed!

[quote]PROIBÃ

you're right. it does mean "catching prohibited".

i dont know much about plecos and corys to say that the 2 you mentioned are the only "interesting" ones. here's what they have on their list for those who couldnt see it:

Loricariidae
Ancistrus formoso
Delturus parahybae
Harttia rhombocephala
Hemiancistrus chlorostictus
Hemipsilichthys garbei
Hemipsilichthys mutuca
Hypancistrus zebra
Pogonopoma parahybae
Pseudotocinclus tietensis
Callichthyidae
Corydoras macropterus

although i agree with the brazilian government's decision, i cant see how they're going to stop people from exporting these fish. so, im sure its not 100% right.

Hi!

The only way they can control this is by basically opening each box indivudaly and check what is inside...

Believe me you will see the same thing that is happening with the different speceis of coral that are protected, being exported under the name of another species...

H.z ... will be offered for sale to really good customer willing to pay a "million"...with a bit of "arrangement" between the exporter and the Customs officer and/or with the controller of the IBAMA...

It is our responsability not to accept such thing... these fishes are being protected... fine, they are not the first and with the pace of the destruction of the natural habitats probably other will join soon...

As Chris said, I doubt they will ban Ornemental fish trade, this is a major income and allow thousands of people to live...

cheers
Yann

If any of you are familiar with Project Piaba (http://www.angelfire.com/pq/piaba), then you would know that this proposed ban can seriously endanger the rain forest. A lot of species (especially the cardinal tetra, but there are catfish too) are sustainably harvested by the locals. If this method of income were removed, they would work towards logging, cattle ranching, strip mining, among other environmentally destructive industries.

i took a look at your website, but i cant see how fishing will improve the rain forest. the slogan "buy a fish, save the forest", how does it exactly work? in layman words, please?

We're still working on putting up projectpiaba.org, which will be more helpful. Basically, a lot of people living in the forest (especially in the Rio Negro basin) rely on it for jobs and income. Most species of aquarium fish living in the flooded forest can only be collected in small amounts at a time by people with hand nets in canoes (larger boats are unable to get there). This means that, only small amounts can be collected, but these fish can be more profitable than say, clearing forest to build a ranch, or working for a lumber or mining company. Most of these fish (especially the cardinal tetra) are abundant in such large numbers, that it would be extremely difficult to overcollect them. Plus, they are annuals, meaning that, like some killifish, they will die off every year after spawning.
The fishermen know this, so they will collect after the breeding season, so that collecting will not affect the overall population. What else is good about these guys is that they care about preserving wild populations and the forest. They would much rather collect sustainably (not too much, but enough to allow both to be happy) than harmfully.

Crisinha: this might be interesting to you:
http://biodiversityeconomics.org/pdf/020831-09.PDF

i think i've got it now. it looks like an excellent idea! is the brazilian government aware of these projects?

thanks for the link mike, i havent been able to read it yet, but im looking forward to doing it!