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Originally Posted by spence
Given the raw numbers of fish potentially to be imported, to equate this with "pet shop" goldfish smacks of spin.
If the importer doesn't have a permit good for this year then they will have to follow the existing process, even if it's different.
I'm not trying to be a #^&#^&#^&#^& here, but I just don't see how the economic welfare of a few baitshops would be really harmed by a product that they've never sold...assuming the state has a valid legal reason to delay or forbid the sale as neighboring states have.
-spence
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Again, the importer renewed the permit for 2006, but it is now on hold. What you are not realizing is that if the bio security council rules that the Carrasius auratus is a threat, ALL importation will have to stop. Its not just the fishing realm this will affect. How can you differentiate a fish with the exact taxonomy(genetic makeup) and exact latin scientific name simply because of where it sold? The answer is you can't. The fact remains that no law exists prohibiting their use as a bait in RI, period. You can't make up the rules as you go. They have had over 200 years to put a rule in the books dealing with this fish, and they didn't do it.
Neighboring states never gave a permit in the first place, the issue here is a permit was given, so the minnow farm spent tons of money dedicating several ponds to grow their minnows larger for use here, spent tons of money to advertise them and develop a distributorship, as have many local baitshops under the pretense that a permit was issued already(in 2005 and 2006).Advertising, live wells, and time =$$. The economic impact will also affect every petshop in the state, and every school child who keeps one as a pet as it is the importation of the fish they are challenging, if denied, all goldfish will have to be banned or they will be in violation of the ruling.
Their are studies galore on this fish and its supposed impacts, available to anyone who asks the for them or has the inclination to inform themselves; god forbid anyone actually do a little research before weighing in on anything
. 80 years of use as a bait in both salt and fresh water in Texas should be an ample study sampling, don't you think? The amount of predators in the watersheds down there does not differ substantially from any other states, nor does how or what they eat.