I will actually be in Launie this Monday to pick up a fish pond from the AMC for the kids in my marine science class... they are about to embark on some feed trials of rainbow trout. I don't know about the feasibility of any of these great ideas yet. The primary requirement of any attempt to approach Inland Fisheries, at this point in time, is well thought out requests based on the science that is sympathetic to the systems already in place. Lots of people have attempted to have the rules changed and they have resembled an angry mob and Mr Farrel will not even entertain them or their ideas... he has the backing of the law and we can jump up and down as much as we want and he can just smile and say no.. go away. I think if people were more conversant with the reasons why such restrictions are placed on us then maybe we can accommodate them and if we work with Inland Fisheries instead of demanding they change for us then maybe we could make some progress.
Logic says a few things:
1. If we keep bringing fish in from interstate the chance of bringing in pathogens, not already present here, is dramatically increased. As it stands, LFS must keep bringing stock in from interstate and not purchase fish from breeders already here. If they were allowed to buy fish from us the chance of diseases appearing, that aren't already here, is drastically reduced because the number of fish being brought in would also be drastically reduced. The thing to watch is them saying that we are absolutely right... let's stop all imports of live fish into the state altogether. By seeking the right to sell fish we breed we stand to lose the right to import from other states. We also stand to create a culture amongst aquarists here that treats the fish more like currency and the whole concept of keeping fish as a hobby to learn about them and enjoy them goes out the window... I've seen it happen... it would happen again. I don't know what the answer to this is as it seems like a catch 22 situation... damned if we do and damned if we don't. This is what spawned the idea of enabling societies or registered clubs to develop protocols to synch with the laws as they stand to allow their members to trade what they breed on the assumption that by being a part of such an organisation it demonstrates a higher level of responsibility and a willingness to follow the required guidelines. In addition to this, if organisations take on this role we are accepting responsibility for our actions and showing that we are aware, and sympathetic, of the consequences. The benefit of this is that people (the members) also become better educated in keeping fish as pets as well.
2. Tropical fish commonly kept as pets here in Australia stand next to no chance of surviving if they were to ever escape. The water temperature around here gets as low as 2 degrees in an unheated aquarium in my shed over winter. Even my goldfish, outside in its pond, goes into a metabolic shutdown over winter when there is a 2cm thick sheet of ice across it. He's only just waking up now and he's kinda hungry. The numbers of trout here would also almost guarantee that any fish released would be predated very quickly. Not being able to sell fry encourages people to release fish, sentencing them to certain death by hypothermia or predation (and it's a bit rich to take this line when brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, tiger trout (hybrids), triploid trout, and Atlantic salmon are themselves feral fish decimating galaxid populations all over the state... in the name of tourism).
3. Fish kept well will breed. Looked after properly the chances of raising the offspring to maturity is good in the hands of more experienced aquarists. Not being able to redistribute them is a matter of animal cruelty as it may encourage people to keep fish in crowded conditions, to release them, or to euthenase them by whatever means they can... humane or not... Fish would be terminated and this could occur at any stage, from eggs to maturity. There is no options for aquarists to surrender fish they can no longer look after. If there were then the fish could be humanely destroyed (my bet, however, is that they wouldn't be... once the number of fish surrendered was fully realised they would be sold on to LFS to make a buck for the Govt.... does that sound too cynical???). Animal welfare issues are not being given the consideration they ought to be in this issue. Surely Govt. ethics committees should be looking at it. Again, I don't want to shoot myself in the foot because the easiest thing for them to do is outlaw the keeping of fish altogether.
So... yeah.. I've been looking at it some but every time I mention it online in forums, I get a whole lot of nonsensical rubbish and chest beating that is neither constructive or useful... and I go away despondent about the whole situation until someone else comes along that might have a clue
The $150 was gleaned from conversations people have had online, here and in other places, and I can't vouch for it's accuracy BTW.