is it ileageal to keep kokopu?

[johnny walker]

i already have three native tanks but have been wanting to start a kokopu tank for some time now and was wondering if it is ileageal or if you need a permit ??

thanks

[reptilez]

i have been wanting to start a kokopu tank for some time now and was wondering if it is ileageal or if you need a permit ??

thanks

its legal,

holly wood fish farm albany has some

[Stella]

Hello and welcome!

It is legal to keep any native fish, even the most threatened ones. You can even fry them up for breakfast or destroy their habitats (with resource consent)! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

That said, there are a lot of complicated laws around the movement of them and where you can get them from. Obviously gathering them from DOC land is out. As is putting them back into the wild without a permit.

Ethically, for any native fish, it is best to only take them from healthy populations, and to only take juveniles. Taking a few juveniles has less of an impact on the population than taking the breeding stock. Also juveniles adjust to captivity much easier than adults fish. Based on my experience, I won't take a kokopu over 8-10cm or a bully over 6cm.

Kokopu currently in the aquarium trade are probably coming from Charles Mitchell's 'whitebait farm' in Raglan, so is not simply raping and pillaging wild stocks for profit without putting anything back. I am not sure where other species are coming from. Most native fish cannot be bred in captivity.

What other native fish do you have? Always good to find other native fish keepers

[johnny walker]

cool thanks guys

and just got inanga, smelt, common bullys, koura and shrimp