# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Please support AquaRAP



## Nillo (Jun 11, 2005)

I just finished reading an article in the July issue of _Discover_ magazine. The article is entitled _In His Own Words_ by Barry Chernoff. This article should strike most of us close to our hearts, because Barry is an ichthyologist working in South America (I just finished looking at another PDF and it was about Botswana so it appears AquaRAP is worldwide), and has been integral in helping bring prosperity to indigenous tribes by helping them understand the economic and environmental benefit of the ornamental trade.

He helped found a program called AquaRAP. For those of you looking for biotopic information this is one great resource.
AquaRAP publications

It also looks as though there are opportunities to go on field expeditions with this group to help with research. Although I am not positive about this.

When I started looking at one of the PDF's that I downloaded, I was struck by the beauty of the locales, and the beauty of both the flora and fauna. I found myself thinking, "I want that fish, and definitely a couple of those plants." I was also left longing for more photos, as the PDF's are light on photos and heavy on science. There were species that we just don't see yet in the trade. One of the most poignant parts of the _Discover_ article was a simple analysis of the economics of the ornamental trade. It read as follows.

"See this little pencil fish. It weighs maybe four or five grams. Now, think about it: If you had enough pencil fish to equal the weight of one cow, the value of those pencil fish would be 11,000 times the value of that cow. Go to a store in Chigaco and you will pay $5 for this little pencil fish. The amount of money in the ornamental pet trade alone is huge. _These are renewable resources._ By simply asking what we have to do to maintain these economic resources, we can protect to other things that are living there."

I know that this economic analysis is somewhat simplistic, and the the native people don't get $5 a fish. On the same note, however, they don't get $1 (or whatever a quarter pounder costs. It's been years since I have eaten fast food) for a 1/4# of beef. Sometimes free-market capitalism gets a bum rap, but it seems as though we are in a unique position to help the environments we so cherish through our consumption.

No matter how you fall on that issue, please check out the above website if only for the abundance of biotopic information.


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## Nillo (Jun 11, 2005)

I just finished reading an article in the July issue of _Discover_ magazine. The article is entitled _In His Own Words_ by Barry Chernoff. This article should strike most of us close to our hearts, because Barry is an ichthyologist working in South America (I just finished looking at another PDF and it was about Botswana so it appears AquaRAP is worldwide), and has been integral in helping bring prosperity to indigenous tribes by helping them understand the economic and environmental benefit of the ornamental trade.

He helped found a program called AquaRAP. For those of you looking for biotopic information this is one great resource.
AquaRAP publications

It also looks as though there are opportunities to go on field expeditions with this group to help with research. Although I am not positive about this.

When I started looking at one of the PDF's that I downloaded, I was struck by the beauty of the locales, and the beauty of both the flora and fauna. I found myself thinking, "I want that fish, and definitely a couple of those plants." I was also left longing for more photos, as the PDF's are light on photos and heavy on science. There were species that we just don't see yet in the trade. One of the most poignant parts of the _Discover_ article was a simple analysis of the economics of the ornamental trade. It read as follows.

"See this little pencil fish. It weighs maybe four or five grams. Now, think about it: If you had enough pencil fish to equal the weight of one cow, the value of those pencil fish would be 11,000 times the value of that cow. Go to a store in Chigaco and you will pay $5 for this little pencil fish. The amount of money in the ornamental pet trade alone is huge. _These are renewable resources._ By simply asking what we have to do to maintain these economic resources, we can protect to other things that are living there."

I know that this economic analysis is somewhat simplistic, and the the native people don't get $5 a fish. On the same note, however, they don't get $1 (or whatever a quarter pounder costs. It's been years since I have eaten fast food) for a 1/4# of beef. Sometimes free-market capitalism gets a bum rap, but it seems as though we are in a unique position to help the environments we so cherish through our consumption.

No matter how you fall on that issue, please check out the above website if only for the abundance of biotopic information.


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