Salt water guy in deep do-do

[amaruq]

This was in our paper other day. I found out about it yesterday from my Fish store. I have been to this Store too and didn't like the fact he only brought in a "Few" freshwater fish to lure us in to Salt water and they tell you that!

I think this is wrong in so many ways...and our Aquarium society defended him????? NOPE!

http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2008/03/13/pf-4988206.html

Oh did I mention this is in Winnipeg?

[KnaveTO]

There are too mant stores that import and sell illegal fish, and quite a few do it knowingly. If you have knowledge of stores selling fish that are illegal then you should report them to the correct authorities.

[Melody]

Definitly not the smartest thing for a club to get involved in, even if they're right. One of top priorities of any club should be preservation and if ignorance is an excuse they should be educating, not using it as a defense.... the way I see it anyway.

Speaking in general terms, I don't personally accept the ignorance excuse at the retail level anymore - they are responsible for knowing the origins of their livestock and if there isn't any proof, they shouldn't be buying it. Marine dealers know that abuse is rampant and they are aware of how crucial it is that they know who and what they're dealing with. If the authorities didn't think he knew what he was doing, they would go after the supplier only and take the fish out of the store with a warning to the owner. That's how they handle invasives too.

I would warn a retailer if I knew he had something illegal in his store. If I saw it again, I'd report it. Everyone deserves a chance to right the wrong and if they honestly didn't know and are ethical, they'd remove the fish immediately and contact the authorities themself.

That's my opinion anyways, for what its worth, and maybe there's more to it than meets the eye. He has a right to innocence until guilt is proven, so I guess we'll find out when it goes to court.