dear Mr Sim,
If I am lost, I do hope to find myelf, but you are the one that is all supportive of PB being further introduced just to satisfy your need for some flyfishing experience. You may wish to read your own posting (dated 23rd May) to refresh yourself, may I take upon myself to repeat your posting:-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wow, then I better tell Pak Amin to avoid you guys. Like he said, if not for the Peacockbass we flyfishermen would not not pick up flyfishing. Both Malaysia and Singapore faced the same problem of not having enough game fishes to make it a game fishing destination. Luckily for us, his dreams will come true even it is just for Malaysia. Peacockbass like the Temensis bring in the big bucks and the authorities both are blind not to see impact it bring to the various industries in term of tourist dollars and tackle trade.
Singapore would have follow the Malaysian to have FFF membership if not for the half hearted people trying to form a club under the government wing. The Malaysian FFF charter will be able to host the next international flyfishing game when the local fisheries are robust to enough to attract international fly and lure fishermen and all you need are the peacockbass and we would have a FFF master representative for Asia.
What about the local species, well where are they. If the local authorities are strong enough to implement the laws, there will be no poachers and the local species will strives. Look at all the local fishing ponds, by not not stocking peacockbass they are losing customers. Worry about the accidental releases into the local streams and rivers. Tell me where you cannot find peacockbass in Malaysia.
Ron Looi, love him or hate him. Without him or the peacockbass there will be no flyfishing in Malaysia or Singapore.
Who have and do not like to hace a peacockbass at the end of your line?
Sim
If after reading the above and if there is anyone who does not come to the conclusion that you are not a PB advocate then, there must be error to the transmission of your message in the English langguage as we know it. It is clearly evident by your writing, that in your view, that if there is no PB there would not be any flyfishing in Malaysia or Singapore. That being the case, I am sad that you are either a very inexperienced or that you are not actually a flyfisherman at all.
Please do visit to TackleBox in Subang Jaya (by the way your Pak Amin is often there as well), while there, you may wish to glance at the many pictures on the walls showing numerous fish species including but not limited to sebarau, toman, haruan, belida, lampam, tengas, kelah and other natives being hooked on flies. A polite word with the many flycasters there would probably point you to some ponds or lakes where you can experienced the trill of hooking up with something other than a PB. Hope that answers your question where to find native species, these are there, it just takes a little more effort.
You had also gone on the subject that there are other aliens (Pacu, Rohu & Tilapia being your examples) introduced to our eco-system and they are just as destructive. I do agree, the introduction of crows for one (this was mentioned in one of my posting in reply). My reply to you if you do understand the English langguage is specific to these species as you had cited, though there may be others. In simple truth, pacu do not breed naturally and you actually need a license to keep them. (You can see a sample of this license stuck on the door to the kitchen at TowFoo), Both rohu and tilapia are food fish (which PB is not) and their numbers are controlled naturally by them being taken from ponds and lakes in the frequencies that their numbers had not reached the epidemic numbers that their destructive nature will be fully realised. May I just ask, when was the last time you had hooked a large, say 1kg sized, rohu or tilapia in the wild (non-pay pond, that is, you may have but it would be often)? PB on the otherhand had poliferated in many ponds and lakes. With it not being a popular food fish many if not most are released. This together with their efficient reproduction and survival instinct had seen then colonising many ponds and lakes and thus reducing if not eliminating most local/native fish species.
Another of your statement:-
I think you have lost the wood for the trees. It too late for me to be concerned whether it a tilapia or a peacockbass. The damage has been done.
The truth is that it is never too late, there are still many ponds and lakes that do not have PB or tilapia, and strong efforts must be made that these are not introduced there. Aquaculture of tilipia, rohu and carps, unfortunately cannot be eliminated but efforts must be made to have them confined.
I am strongly against introduction of alien species that would have an adverse effect on our already delicate eco-system. PB (with the JC and lohan) is known to be distructive and these may already be in many ponds and lakes but do you have to make the effort to introduce them to any other ponds and lakes that do not have them? And if doing this is all in the name of promoting flyfishing then it is sad. It puts me to shame just to own a flyrod and to be associated to this cause.
