Hello,
I got into fish keeping as a kid, well growing up in SW Ohio I kept pretty much anything I could catch so natives where often in my tanks. I got out of fish in my teens and from then on I was a herp guy, well herps got to time consuming with a family so last year I got back into fish, I moved out of ohio when I joined the military and for the most part have never returned. I am really interested in keeping natives. I would like to say the forum is great and has alot of useful information, I have done nothing but read thru the forums for most of the day today

I am contemplating joining as a full fledged member, I have browsed thru pretty much every NANFA orginazation page and from what I can tell the vast majority of the membership, information and articles in the magazine (sample magazine) are focused on species east of the Mississippi. I read the mission statements and everything else, I only saw one regional rep listed for 3 western states. I guess what I am getting at is if I spend $20 to join this orginization what do I truly get out of it, Heck even a bumper sticker would atleast spread the word and maybe move your orginization westward if thats what you want. I am not saying it would be a complete waste but just like anything if it doesnt truly help conservation in my area or region then is it money well spent? Please dont flame me here I am interested in joining but need more information on what NANFA is doing to move westward and how it is fullfilling it's mission statement in western states, specifically Colorado. I have read Colorado's regulations on keeping Native fish and I couldnt find anything specific making it legal or illegal to keep wild fish in aquariums, there a vague use rules so as I read them it is legal to keep certain species as long as the are within possesion/bag lmits.

I see keeping natives as an oppurtunity to teach my children about conservation and experience nature first hand thru observation.

Edited by brian1973, 20 April 2008 - 01:27 AM.

Hi Brian,

Welcome! I've spent several years in Missouri (west of the Mississippi), over a year in California, and a summer spent herping out on the plains of NE Colorado (Crook, to be exact). There's not much activity west of the 100th meridian because many of the states out here have highly restrictive laws on collecting & maintaining native fishes. I think Colorado is one of the more lenient ones, especially east of the divide.

There's lots of interesting fish in eastern Colorado that make great aquarium fish, although be sure to check lists of threatened and endangered species before going out with dipnet or seine (many species that are common back East have isolated populations along the Front Range that carry protected status -- orangethroat darter, southern redbelly dace, etc.).

If there doesn't seem to be much currently going on in Colorado, it's not because there's not anything interesting there or that NANFA as a group doesn't care about it (actually, quite the opposite!); there's just no or few active members. We're not Trout Unlimited or Ducks Unlimited; we don't have 5 million members and millions of dollars in the bank for programs, but we get an awful lot done for having a membership of only around 500, . Read through the free pdf of American Currents on the website. That's largely been the work of one seriously dedicated individual. As a group, we depend to a huge degree on the unpaid efforts that our members make -- from the folks that organize the annual convention, to making t-shirts & signs & decals, to running & moderating this Forum, to any of a 1000 other contributions.

For the record, NANFA has funded research on greenback cutthroat trout conservation in Colorado through our small grants program. I know several members that are doing scientific research on fishes in Colorado and other adjacent states -- studies that will have direct conservation implications.

Whether your $20 will be well-spent or not is entirely your decision (though if you ask Casper real nice he might be willin' to part with a bumper sticker, if that's what it takes...)

cheers,
Dave

Hi Brian,

Welcome! I've spent several years in Missouri (west of the Mississippi), over a year in California, and a summer spent herping out on the plains of NE Colorado (Crook, to be exact). There's not much activity west of the 100th meridian because many of the states out here have highly restrictive laws on collecting & maintaining native fishes. I think Colorado is one of the more lenient ones, especially east of the divide.

There's lots of interesting fish in eastern Colorado that make great aquarium fish, although be sure to check lists of threatened and endangered species before going out with dipnet or seine (many species that are common back East have isolated populations along the Front Range that carry protected status -- orangethroat darter, southern redbelly dace, etc.).

If there doesn't seem to be much currently going on in Colorado, it's not because there's not anything interesting there or that NANFA as a group doesn't care about it (actually, quite the opposite!); there's just no or few active members. We're not Trout Unlimited or Ducks Unlimited; we don't have 5 million members and millions of dollars in the bank for programs, but we get an awful lot done for having a membership of only around 500, . Read through the free pdf of American Currents on the website. That's largely been the work of one seriously dedicated individual. As a group, we depend to a huge degree on the unpaid efforts that our members make -- from the folks that organize the annual convention, to making t-shirts & signs & decals, to running & moderating this Forum, to any of a 1000 other contributions.

For the record, NANFA has funded research on greenback cutthroat trout conservation in Colorado through our small grants program. I know several members that are doing scientific research on fishes in Colorado and other adjacent states -- studies that will have direct conservation implications.

Whether your $20 will be well-spent or not is entirely your decision (though if you ask Casper real nice he might be willin' to part with a bumper sticker, if that's what it takes...)

cheers,
Dave

Thanks for the reply Dave, like I said I couldnt find anything specific on the laws pertaining to collecting and maintaining native fish, I know that over the last few years the laws have become restricted in the herp field, I was a member of the colorado herptological society for a few years, but with the majority membership being ven 100miles away it made it hard to stay active within the group or even get into the cliques that were appearant, it was surprising that Colorado prohibited the capture and keeping of various common species. I'm not sure about the aquarium hobby but with herps most breeding of even threatened species takes place by dedicated hobbiest not the "professional". Who is the regional rep and what is he doing to spread the word of NANFA in Colorado, what would I be able to do to help? I do feel that if i am going ot join I need to be involved, as time permits, I dont like giving money to a group then sitting back and letting them do all the work, the only way I can ensure that my money is used in Colorado is to be active.
Oh yea I wouldnt mind paying the extra $5 dollars for the decals..dont get me wrong i am definately cheap but i can part with the 5 bucks..lol
Thanks
Brian

hey Brian,

Compared to herps, native fishkeepers mostly operate in a grey zone -- seldom are there explicit regulations. There's just not enough interest out there. Typical use of native non-game fishes is as "bait." Many of us have used this approach to keep native fishes in the past, and while Colorado has provisions for seining and use of minnows for live bait, they also explicitly prohibit transport of those minnows without a special permit (thus, you can go to a river, catch some minnows and use them for bait there, but you can't put them in a bucket and drive to a nearby lake or your house). Colorado is also a little different in that they declare possession of all live wildlife (native and non-native) illegal unless specifically identified or excluded in the regulations. While they make provisions for keeping small numbers (<4) of common native herps, and a provision for tropical and subtropical fishes (fish found between 26N and 26S; thus including things from the tip of peninsular Florida and the southern tip of Texas) there is no similar provision for temperate native fishes. It's thus also illegal to buy or trade most North American fish from an online supplier and have them shipped to Colorado, unless you acquire an importation permit from DOW.

[all you fish-traders out there should check these types of regs; they're becoming more pervasive, especially in the West]

It might be possible to get a scientific collection permit for you to catch small numbers of non-game fishes and keep them in aquaria, but as they're very selective about who they give those permits to, in the application you'll likely have to play up the educational aspect of the tank, i.e. how your kids are going to benefit. It's still a long shot. You might consider tracking down folks at your local universities that might be willing to co-sponsor an application with you (PM me off the board for some suggestions).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but don't take my word for the regs -- I'm no lawyer. Re-read them yourself (links below). There appear to be some contradictions between the fishing regs pdf and the wildlife posession regs pdf. You might want to track down your local conservation officer and ask him/her what their take on the regs are.

There is currently no Colorado NANFA representative... which just means there's an open position waiting for you! If you can get DOW to realize that responsible native fishkeeping is just as valid a use of native wildlife as hunting and fishing, it might be possible to have the regs changed. As a group, NANFA can help pursue this goal.

cheers,
Dave


http://wildlife.stat...00AE/0/Ch11.pdf

and

http://wildlife.stat...ishbrochure.pdf

It might be possible to get a scientific collection permit for you to catch small numbers of non-game fishes and keep them in aquaria, but as they're very selective about who they give those permits to, in the application you'll likely have to play up the educational aspect of the tank, i.e. how your kids are going to benefit. It's still a long shot. You might consider tracking down folks at your local universities that might be willing to co-sponsor an application with you (PM me off the board for some suggestions).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but don't take my word for the regs -- I'm no lawyer. Re-read them yourself (links below). There appear to be some contradictions between the fishing regs pdf and the wildlife posession regs pdf. You might want to track down your local conservation officer and ask him/her what their take on the regs are.

There is currently no Colorado NANFA representative... which just means there's an open position waiting for you! If you can get DOW to realize that responsible native fishkeeping is just as valid a use of native wildlife as hunting and fishing, it might be possible to have the regs changed. As a group, NANFA can help pursue this goal.

cheers,
Dave
http://wildlife.stat...00AE/0/Ch11.pdf

and

http://wildlife.stat...ishbrochure.pdf

Well I did go back and read these rules and what i can make sense of is very interesting.in one regulation thay say "tropical" fish are allowed yet when you go to another regulation they prohibit certain tropical fish, i don't know enough of the scientific names to point them ot but the biggest stand out is pirahna.

So I will be emailing Colorado DOW and start asking questions..last time i emailed them about some herps i never got a response. But I can take a bluegill stick a hook thru it and kill it using it as bait but I cannot keep one in my home aquarium..makes alot of sense.

The more i search this forum and search thru the pictures of some natives I am more impresed than I a of many of the tropicals.

I guess to start the ball rolling on this issue I need to join NANFA...I will do this within the next day or so..I have a paypal account but hasnt been used in ages.

Heres the link to a reg that IMO contradicts another reg http://wildlife.stat...2A95/0/Ch00.pdf you have to scroll down to section#012 even though many of these ar commonly sold in most of the petshops including major chains.

Ok I am now a NANFA member.

Ok I am now a NANFA member.

Score another one for the good guys!

Score another one for the good guys!

I'll take that as a "welcome to NANFA"...LOL

Welcome To NANFA!