Nurse Sharks in the Aquarium Trade

[Blinkgyrl2987]

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Hi all,
I'd like to share an article that got published in Maryland just this weekend. I really think that this Marine Rescue Center is onto something good here and Im curious as to what others will think about it.

They are lobbying this thursday in Annapolis to stop the sale of Nurse sharks into pet stores as well as other large species that reach greater than 3-4 feet or so. They also express in the article they're desire for fish to have rights. Please read this article and post your opinions! I'm sure you will find this to be interesting. Also be sure to check out the video.

I've posted the link below

http://www.mdgazette.com/content/love-sharks

 

[dave.m]

The trouble with this banning stuff is that some bright light will get the idea to wed the save-the-sharks crowd with the save-the-reef crowd and decide to ban everything. Banning everything is so much easier. No thought required by authorities. It makes me nervous when people start banning things.

Dave.M

 

[Blinkgyrl2987]

Ahh yes I can see your fear, and I feel the same. I would be really mad if someone tried to take the hobby away from us passionate reef people. However, I think there should be a way to just eliminate certain practices. There's a huge difference in keeping reef fish and keeping sharks that grow up to 14 feet right? Somewhere along the line of what should we sell to petstores I think someone should have been a little smarter and thought "huh now nurse sharks.... I don't know if thats such a good idea." lol. Fish Keeping is an old hobby though, and I think for some people they still have the mind frame of " well it won't outgrow the tank". I wish it wasn't like that.

 

[muttley000]

I don't like to see animals bought and then not provided for, however if one has the means to properly take care of nurse sharks, I don't feel it should be illegal to do so. Kind of hard to argue the point without getting the thread closed for being political :clown:

 

[dave.m]

The solution would be to require would-be owners of certain exotic pets to have a special license to own such an animal as a (potentially) fourteen foot long shark. This way creates jobs (more bureaucracy) while making the whole route towards accessing such an animal more difficult and time-consuming - what governments specialize in anyway. Making it as difficult as possible to own certain exotic pets would help to discourage impulse buying.

Adding a clause to the license where the would-be owner must prove they have alternate care arrangements made in advance with a zoo or somewhere similar would make it even more difficult, and the zoos could charge a warrant fee up front for providing such a guarantee ($$$).

Dave.M

 

[mattiej]

The problem is that individuals need to know what they are getting into before taking on the care of any aniamls, whether it be a shark or an acro. There is little any license or fee could do to prevent people from obtaining animals they should not possess. How about stores stop selling sharks that are not suited to the average hobbyist.

 

[dave.m]

I'm just trying to find a way to make it difficult enough to discourage impulse buyers, and make it so that only those who are truly driven to succeed will keep trying until they eventually get there. Hopefully, they will be the people who will have done their homework and know how to take care of these creatures.

I put no faith in stores who hire kids at minimum wage and unable to judge buyers, and especially not in salespeople making commission who will sell you anything to make a profit.

Dave.M

 

[coralfish]

It seems that this is being posted in almost every forum on RC...can't keep up with them all

 

[spieszak]

The solution would be to require would-be owners of certain exotic pets to have a special license to own such an animal as a (potentially) fourteen foot long shark. This way creates jobs (more bureaucracy) while making the whole route towards accessing such an animal more difficult and time-consuming - what governments specialize in anyway.
Dave.M

Not too be too political here, but governments specialize in levying taxes on the general public to pay for services for that may or may not benefit all.
I'm don't want a nurse shark, or a fish that will over grow my tank. I also don't want to pay for YOU (the general you) to have a nurse shark, when its highly likely that the animal won't do well in captivity anyway. I will happily pay, and donate, for the local zoo to have a nurse shark exhibit, when I have certain REAL guarantees that the animal will be cared for.

 

[spieszak]

oh.. and to make it cost prohibitive to own, a small movement encouraging no one to buy them will do basically the same thing as licenses and requirements. Make it cost $1000 to buy, you get "serious" buyers only.

 

[Mouse]

Dont they do all of that with Tigers, Chimps etc etc ? Those poor guys still pop up all over in need of help

 

[dave.m]

I will happily pay, and donate, for the local zoo to have a nurse shark exhibit, when I have certain REAL guarantees that the animal will be cared for.

I certainly don't disagree with you, but I think you are (sadly) in the minority as far as supporting zoos, etc. All I was looking for was to make it very expensive to purchase/own these animals through a licensing scheme, which I think is very similar to what you have said.

Dave.M

 

[Jamesurq]

When it's perfectly legal to catch a fish, chop it into chunks, stick it on a hook and catch/kill and eat a nurse shark.... we're going to make it illegal to catch one alive and put it in a glass box?

 

[dave.m]

we're going to make it illegal to catch one alive and put it in a glass box?

No, but we should make it difficult to do, and expensive enough to make the would-be shark owner slow down and learn about the needs of his charge and to ensure there is no unnecessary suffering on the part of the animal, which is really what all this is about.

Dave.M

 

[ShipWreck2]

If stores simply don't order them then that should stop the impulse buyers. Now you have to order it and hopefully the store would ask you about your setup and point you in the right direction. There is a chain store up here that keeps a black tip reef shark on display in every store and IMHO they don't have the right setup for that themselves.

I don't agree with banning as was pointed out they go overboard. A while ago a city here started talking about dangerous species which when it came out as a bylaw turned into the banning of exotic animals, so reef fish included. The community rallied and it was reversed but if the higher level of governments take this approach no one will have anything more exotic then a common mouse.