Ok who loves frontosa?

[ViS]

I just came across this:

Amendment - List of Specimens Taken to be Suitable for Live Import - s303EB (11/04/2005)

Legislative Instrument - F2005L00922

Brief Description: 

Allows amendment to the List of specimens suitable for live import. This instrument will allow live specimens of: Botia lohachata (Reticulate loach, yo-yo loach) of length 1.5 cm and over; Cyphotilapia frontosa (Frontosa, Humphead cichlid) of length 1.4cm and over; Dekeyseria pulcher (Clown peckoltia) of length 12cm and over; Glossolepis incisus (Red rainbowfish) of length 1.5cm and over; Sawbwa resplendens (Burmese rummynose) of length 1.5 cm and over; Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki (Dwarf botia, Skunk loach) of length 1.5cm and over, to be imported into Australia.

Classification:  List

Date Registered: 18/04/2005 09:04:55

Date of Making: 11/04/2005

Administering Portfolio: DOEH

So I'm assuming frontosa are now legally importable?

Who is up for some legal Moba / Zaire etc?

For the website go to:

New Imports

[mrseby]

yeah baby !!!!

And it happend sooner than what i thought !!!!!

Good on them !!!

Ok guys looks like the importers will be busy with all these new orders

Yippy

[Teamsherman]

And who can honestly say they want some 7 bars now that they will be worth a quarter of what they were previously??? Come on, truth now guys!!

[zerospel]

Thanks for the good news!

I love loaches and is great to hear this!!!

[Ant]

I like them, pitty i don't have any tank space....hmmmmm although i could fit a pair into my foai species tank.

Anthony

[MikeWs Fish]

Dekeyseria pulcher (Clown peckoltia) of length 12cm and over;

Wow! They are on my WTB list. Lucky I havent bought them, yet!

[foai]

I am with TeamSherman on this one. I will be interested what effect the fact that the fish can now be legally imported will have on:

a. people's desire to obtain the fish; and

b. the price people will pay now that it is potentially freely available to everyone who wants it.

It reminds me of the excitement of people who paid mega bucks for a "7 bar" instead of a "6 bar". Can there really have been that much desire for an extra black line on the fish?

The good part of the changes is that quality stock will be available to mix bloodlines.

DMJ

[Ant]

Without getting into a debate, i think mixing bloodlines will be a bad thing considering past discussion about the heritage of our frontosas.

Anthony

[Josh]

To add to this, theres an attachment that explains more. The last two paragraphs are interesting I think before anyone gets excited

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Amendment to the List of Specimens Taken to be Suitable for Live Import

in accordance with section 303EC (1) (a)

(Issued under Authority of the Minister for the Environment and Heritage)

This instrument is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), in general terms, a live specimen is allowed to be imported only if it is included on the list of specimens suitable for live import.

The list was established in accordance with s.303EB of the EPBC Act and has two parts. 

Part 1 comprises species exempt from the need for an import permit under the EPBC Act. Part 2 comprises species that can be imported with a permit under the EPBC Act. 

The effect of this instrument is to add six species of ornamental fish to Part 1 of the list of specimens suitable for live import.  The six fish species are: Botia lohachata, Cyphotilapia frontosa, Dekeyseria pulcher, Glossolepis incisus, Sawbwa resplendens and Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki.

Permits will not be required from the Minister to import live specimens of these six species.

Amendments to the list of specimens suitable for live import can be made either on the initiative of the Minister or by application.  This list amendment was initiated by an application from the Pet Industry Association of Australia under s.303EE of the EPBC Act.

In determining whether to amend the list of specimens suitable for live import to include these six species of ornamental fish, the Minister considered the outcomes of an environmental risk assessment report on ten species of ornamental fish prepared in accordance with s.303EF of the EPBC Act.  The assessment report recommended that three species, C. frontosa, G. incisus and S. resplendens, be allowed for import, but that the remaining species be rejected. Copies of the assessment report are available at the following website: http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-u...ental-fish.html

In accordance with s.303EF of the EPBC Act, the assessment report was published on the Department of Environment and Heritage website and comments sought.  Twelve responses were received, both supporting and refuting the recommendations in the assessment report.

In accordance with s.303EC(3) other appropriate State, Territory and Australian Government Ministers, were consulted. In this case, the Department of the Environment and Heritage consulted with all State and Territory Ministers for the environment and the Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.  Responses both agreeing and disagreeing with the assessment report were received.

The Minister conducted his own risk assessment of the six fish species using a quantitative risk assessment model and concluded that these species were likely to pose limited risk to the Australian environment should they escape effective human control. 

All of these six species have been openly traded in Australia for a number of years although only two of these species have previously been imported legally.  In that time, there have been no records of any of these species establishing feral populations in Australia’s waterways.  Therefore, the Minister decided to include all six species on the list of specimens suitable for live import.

While the six species meet the EPBC Act requirements for addition to the live import list, The Minister is aware that some State and Territory governments may wish to regulate these species within their jurisdictions. Therefore the Minister has decided to delay the coming into effect of the listing until 30 September 2005 to allow State and Territory governments time to implement the regulatory mechanisms they deem necessary.

[Willy Wombat]

http://www.frli.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/...A256FE4001BAB7A

According to the above webpage - These changes will take effect from 30 September 2005. Also i think the size restriction on the plecos is 1.5cm and the fronties is 12cm? Some sort of stuff up?

[Willy Wombat]

Little swimmer you beat me to it

[Chafule]

will this make fronties cheaper? o.O

[ViS]

I'd say it will definitely make them cheaper. The main bonus is being able to get true bloodlines direct from the lake. I'd say our current 6 bars will only be around until the current batch die out in the next 5 - 10 years (as people start importing the types they've always wanted.

Hopefully the importers will play it smart and not bring in too many types that would be impossible to pick the difference between later on down the track, should two different types get mixed accidentally. We still need to make sure the bloodlines stay pure.

[Josh]

@ WW

I dont think that it will make fronnies cheaper. Six and seven bars arent any cheaper in the state then they are hear and they have been legal imports there for a long time.

Also I dont think this will turn ppl away from 7 bar frontosa. It will how ever add new blood to our lines here in australia. I doubt many people are going to fork out the big dollars just yet to get wild caught adults, and even if they want too theres no guarentee they can get them from the lake until they get permission to export to Australia. Check up on the prices in the USA. The newer varieties are extremely expensive over there and they importthem in greater noumber then we ever will

[wildcaught]

hi,

Is this a final report?

I'm still waiting for the zebra bn outcome

[Fins]

The price of our current stock, 6 and 7 bars won't be affected too much. What will be affected is the price on our current 6 bar Zaires, Tanzanians and Zambians.

As always, that's just MHO

[Nigel]

This will make them cheap because I know what I can buy these fish for on the open market overseas. I would say Frontosa will come down in price a far bit as for the others I think they can be supplied in south east asia at a fair price. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens when importers start bringing them in. So watch this space is my advice.

[@nthony]

Hi All,

Good news indeed. The Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIAA) recieved the approval on our applications for the above 6 species on Friday the 15/4/05 from Sen Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment. We did however also recieve a negative response to our application for H. zebra while we volunterely withdrew the applications for Blood Parrots, Royal Panaqes and Apollo Sharks.

PIAA will be lobbying DEH (Dept of Environment and Heritage) to reduce the size restriction that has been applied to Frontosa as well as taking up the rejection of the Zebra Plecos on appeal. They were rejected because there is apparentley a lack of scientific evidence availible on the species so they have had to reject them based on the undesirable traits possesed by relatives in the Loricaridae family. Go figure

Otherwise very positive news. It would appear that the powers that be are a little more industry freindly at the moment despite stiff opposition from many of the states and we will be taking this oppurtunity to submitt another list of 10 species for consideration. The application process has been simplified as it no longer requires a independent assesment providing ALL requested information is provided. It is the independent assesments that have caused the 3 year delay for the current 10 species.

As far as prices go, taking the market away from the smuglers will cause the prices to fall. You will expect to see YoYo's retailing for around $20ea and P. pulcher for around $60ea

Unfortunatley if we are unsuccesfull in reducing the size limit on frontosa they will still be pricey due to the frieght cost of transporting large fish. In saying that they will still be allot cheaper than the ridicolous prices that have been asked for Zaires and the like. I would expect a retail of around $$200-250ea for 12cm Zaires. More importantley though we will have access to pure bloodlines and localities.

Hope this helps and i will keep you all informed of any further developments

@nthony

PIAA Ornamental Fish Representitive

[ViS]

applications for Blood Parrots

I think I'm going to be sick

I'm glad it was withdrawn, but who in their right mind would apply for them in the first place????? (no offence anthony )

[@nthony]

applications for Blood Parrots

I think I'm going to be sick

I'm glad it was withdrawn, but who in their right mind would apply for them in the first place????? (no offence anthony )

←

Andy,

The original 10 species were first put forward around 3 years ago (yes it has taken that long). They were chosen by an industry vote of PIAA (PIJAC at the time) member aquarium shops. The top 10 nominations that were considered a reasonable chance were put forward.

Back then Blood parrots were riding the crest of their unfounded popularity, at least in industry anyway. There was however some method to the madness, If Blood Parrots (Cichlasoma sp hybrid (?)) were allowed entry this would automatically allow the parent species, Cichlasoma sp ( ? )allowable entry also. It was for this reason that we were informed that they would be rejected if industry persued its application. We couldnt tell them exactley what it was we were appying for!!!

HTH

@NTHONY

[Ducksta]

Cichlasoma sp. "hybrid" - are you kidding? Nothing could be refused entry is that was legal

You can make frontosa as cheap and as legal as you want, but they are still boring as bat-craP IMO

[Ducksta]

Wow my quick reply wasn't so quick after all...

[Nigel]

Ducky your proplem is you have never seen any good quality Frontosa. But thats all about to change.

[Ducksta]

So the good quality ones... They move more and are less lethargic?

I know people with wild caughts in the US, and they haven't swayed me.

My dislike of them stems from their personality/behaviour, not looks.

[couchy]

This is great news but lets not forget that fronts take at least 3 years to reach breeding maturity and they won't go in every 2 & 3 foot tank. they're a fish that mainly hobbyists such as ourselves can handle, they're not for everyone! There was a size limit of import fish for them and it was 12 cm+ which will be close to breeding size but if you want young or small fronts you will have to buy locally or F1 fry from a buyer/breeder of these new guys. I have spoken to many people in the hobby about this event (frontosa import approval) and there's a lot of talk about the wild specimens not being as good as we all are hoping. APPARENTLY some of the different varietys have cross bred and because of environmental issues the species are struggling for habitat. This is forcing them to move into and share space with other variants in other regions. There is even talk of 6 + 7 bar X's? Anyway thats just what i've heard, nevertheless i'm looking forward to getting some of these guys when they're available. I've always wanted some Ikola or Zaire Blue 7 bars, anyone who thinks they're boring or over rated do a search on these they are a lot nicer than the average ones you would have seen locally. IMO the prices will stay high for a few years at least or until they reduce the import size? Any breeder who pays for the import of the first ones is gonna be looking to make their expenses back.September seems so far away. Maybe we will see them at the October auction Cheers Couchy