A sad koi Story

[Dave 54]

Now this is so very sad
I know that around the world koi can be seen as pests and are acctually banned in some countries such as New Zealand and all but Two states in Australia but some states in the US as well ?
Apparently so as a lady found out when she was taken to court and looks set to loose her beloved koi collection read on :-

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co....eizes_Koi_from_US_fishkeeper&utm_content=html

The state has acctually siezed her koi
What are your thoughts were they right to do so or is this an invasion of her Civil Liberies ?

Dave

 

[JohnHuff]

Before making any judgements or even comments on the story, more info is needed.

What are the Maine state laws that prohibit them? I'd like to see them. When were these law passed, and I don't believe that there are no koi in Maine at all. Surely, Petco and such sell them?

Edit: Googled it and found some info. Koi are indeed banned in ME. But this guy got them back:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/us/06fish.html

Anyway, lots of links when you Google.

 

[Priscilla]

I didn't know they were seen as pests in some places.

I found this bit of the article strange: Officials also took a Blue jay and a squirrel from the premises.

Perhaps the whole story isn't shown here, maybe she was an animal hoarder or something ...? What size indoor tank would you need to keep 40 koi - assuming some of them are quite big if she's been doing it for 50 years.

Not judging, just making a comment.

 

[Sunshine]

Here's a more in depth story. 24 Chihuahuas !!

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Maine-game-warden-seizes-koi-from-Harpswell-woman-.html

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Tough for me to have an opinion because I'm not educated enough in knowing what impact Koi could have on the environment, or if there's been any issues involving Koi, so I'll say this...

If Koi or any animal for that matter poses a real threat to the environment and its native species, I can absolutely understand them being taken away and banned. Native species deserve to be protected.

Now, if Koi are extremely unlikely to pose any real threat to the environment, and if there have been no known issues with koi specifically, there should be no issue with her keeping them.

 

[JohnHuff]

ME lumped them in with the common carp. I think this is a case that you need to fight first. Not fight after your koi has been taken away. If I were her, I'd try to set up some kind of lobbying group with koi groups and pet stores to petition or fight it in court.

 

[Dave 54]

The problem is like in most westernized countries the damage has already been done and it was done many generations ago.
New ealand is awash with what is termed feral koi carp Carp damaged many lakes around the globe eons ago to the detriment of the native fish species .
So isn't it a tad late for these rules its a little like bolting the stable door after the horse has bolted
Koi and Goldfish viruses are rife in UK and US lakes such as KHV and GHV and many other countries suffer from these viruses too.
However its a little naughty that PFK didn't report the whole story , it sounds like this lady has a hording problem to Val and I .
Nice to hear the other person won through though

Dave

 

[shakaho]

A primary business in Maine is tourism based on pristine lakes, rivers, and forests. To protect these, they forbid keeping non-native fish in ponds. Carp are not native to NA, and they seriously damage aquatic ecosystems by muddying the water, destroying plants, and crowding out natives with their enormous numbers of offspring. There are small lakes and ponds in northern states where someone dumped goldfish 5 years ago and now the only fish are goldfish and minnows.

You can keep goldfish in an indoor aquarium in Maine, but not outdoors. I think we would all agree with the state of Maine that koi don't belong in an aquarium. So they are illegal to bring into the state or keep. Period. This law is no secret.

My city does not allow us to cut down a tree on our property without a permit. The elected officials decided that it should be a "city of trees," and the majority of people have not objected to this. If they did, they would have voted for candidates who want to overturn this law. I don't like it, but I follow the law. (The $5000 fine for violation has a lot to do with that.)

The bluejay and squirrel were taken because it is illegal to cage wild animals without a permit.

 

[Mmathis]

Gotta be more to this. I know that ferrets (domesticated pets, FERRETS, of all things!) are banned in some US states and/or in some cities/counties. Yes, fish can accidentally [or on purpose....] be released into the environment and can pose an environmental threat, but FERRETS? Give me a break!

OK, now that I've ranted about the ferrets.... Curious how the "authorities" even knew this person had the koi, and what turned this into an issue in the first place.

A lot of us have or do things that aren't kosher, but for the most part, as long as we keep it to ourselves, don't otherwise break the law, and don't infringe on the rights of others, the issue is rarely an issue. In my state, it's illegal to keep certain species of reptile [which I won't name] unless you maintain a valid state hunting license [falls under the Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries] -- and then there is a limit to how many you can keep. Guessing that's not a bad thing. But I know of a person who is technically breaking this law, but has also pretty much been assured that the "reptile police" are NOT going to intervene [heck, how would they even know about it, as was my question regarding the koi]. They have far too many other things to worry about.

 

[HARO]

My city does not allow us to cut down a tree on our property without a permit. The elected officials decided that it should be a "city of trees," and the majority of people have not objected to this. If they did, they would have voted for candidates who want to overturn this law. I don't like it, but I follow the law. (The $5000 fine for violation has a lot to do with that.)


We hava a similar law here. About 20 years ago, a local landowner decided to cut down some of the overgrown Christmas trees on his property, since they were no longer useable for their intended purpose. These were planted as a CROP, with the INTENTION of cutting them down! He was fined $10,000 for his dastardly deed. A couple of years later he sold the property to a developer for a future subdivision. The first thing the developer did? Brought in the bulldozers and spraped every last tree, bush, weed and piece of grass off the land!!!!! THAT was OK!
John[/Quote]

 

[morewater]

Well, that's how snakeheads ended up in the Great Lakes, that's how pythons ended up in the everglades.

In Ontario, angling laws prevent anglers from transporting baitfish from one lake to another.

 

[HARO]

Walking catfish, piranha in Grenadier Pond and Pickering Nuclear's outflow, the list goes on. People HAVE to be taught that exotics do not belong in the wild!
John