The Australian government is considering placing a ban on Koi, Common Goldfish, and several other common pet fish due to mounting concerns about the threat these species pose to the nation's unique wildlife.
After the horrors of cane toads, red foxes, feral cats, rabbits, feral livestock, mosquito fish, and the countless other invasive species that have wreaked havoc on Australia's native wildlife, the looming threat of Koi and other carp taking over the waterways is all too real - particularly with Koi popping up in lakes, ponds, and rivers throughout the country. There is allready a several thousand dollar fine per fish released; Australia takes its wildlife seriously, and with good reason. The proposed ban, however, would not only increase existing fines, but would also effectively crush Australia's multi-million dollar Koi industry by halting the sale of the fish. There is also a strong potential that, much as we see in other species or breed bans, Koi owners will be forced to surrender their fish - a death sentence given the highly specific care needs of the species.

Australia is home to many prominent and well-respected Koi breeders organizations, such as the Koi Society of Australia. The country is know for the healthy, well-bred specimins it produces, and has many truly exceptional keepers. However, much like in the United States, there is also a serious problem with people who are ill-equipped to keep Koi purchasing them on a whim, as it is currently the "in" thing to have decorative ponds in the yard. What many individuals who purchase these ponds do not realize is that keeping Koi properly is intensive in time, money, and space. Indeed, many Koi will outgrow the tiny, decorative ponds of inexperienced keepers. In other cases, maintaining the pond becomes too time-consuming and expensive. Once a pond's water quality declines, be it from crowding or poor maintenance, the expensive fish will rapidly begin to perish, the frustration of which has many owners resorting to getting rid of the fish by any means necesarry. That includes release.

The rising Koi population in Australia brings to light many of the issues that run rampant in the world of pet fish: poor owner education, a lack of suitable shelters and sanctuaries, and a general disregard for the inherent value of a fish's life. Fish simply would not intentionally be released by owners if they had adequate space, time, and money to care for them. And most logical human beings do not take on something that they lack the resources to care for. This suggests that - particularly in pet stores, who strive to make sales regardless of what is right for the animal - individuals interested in purchasing Koi are being mislead into thinking they are an easy pet. Many people have a misconception, one that is fostered by the pet and pond industries, that Koi are easy to care for; you dump them in a pond, throw them some food, and they'll sit there looking pretty forever. What most people don't know is that they often grow to lengths of 2-3 feet, have simply massive spacial needs, and require very powerful (and thus, expensive) filtration to maintain water quality. In short, they are not your typical lawn ornament by a long shot, and should not be treated as such.

What's more, even well intentioned owners who care very much for their fish as well as the environment may fall into the trap of releasing Koi. Large fish are notoriously difficult to place in proper homes when they outgrow their environment or become hard to care for; very few people can afford the expense of a pond adequate for several 3 foot long carp. Furthermore, Koi can live for a very long time - the oldest on record being nearly 200 years old! Even the best owner can not lengthen his or her lifespan to accomodate such a pet (don't you wish you could, though?). If you had an animal for over 30 years and knew it was going to outlive you, wouldn't you be tempted to release it into the wild knowing that there would be no one to care for it for you when you were gone? Indeed, it seems the complete and utter lack of attention that Koi and other fish receive from shelters and sanctuaries is at least part of the reason why many desperate owners resort to release.

Banning, as is typically the case, is not the answer. If anything, it will result in more releases as owners free their pets to give them a shot at survival rather than having them confiscated and terminated. However, Australia's wildlife must also be protected, so doing nothing and allowing Koi to continue becoming a growing problem is unacceptable. How can a compromise between Koi lovers and Australia's government be met? Many possible solutions have been proposed, thankfully:
- Ban the continued sale of Koi, but permit the current Koi to remain with their owners. (This is probably one of the least favorable options, as it would remove many excellent, internationally recognized show animals from the global Koi gene pool.)
- Ban the sale of Koi in pet shops. This would reduce impulse purchases, and would force individuals interested in Koi to contact breeders, most of whom would not sell to buyers who display inadequate knowledge of the species.
- Require liscences for keeping Koi, much like those that would be needed to keep other exotic pets. This way, only the most devouted of Koi keepers would bother to have them.
- Strengthen fines for releasing Koi, but also create a wide-spread awareness program on the devastating impact of Koi on the local environment. Animal husbandry education is also a must to prevent unsuitable owners from making the mistake of purchasing an animal they can not handle.

One thing that no one seems to have delved into is the creation of Koi sanctuaries, and how to humanely deal with feral Koi that continue to live and breed in the wild. Here at A Better Place for Bettas, we condone the humane round-up of feral Koi for placement in willing homes or sanctuaries. We do not support or condone lethal methods, as the use of netting, fishing line, poisons, etc. could all harm innocent native fish and aquatic life. Koi advocates must step up to the plate to encourage the government to work comprehensively with non-profit organizations in order to establish sanctuaries for these unique fish to prevent further releases, and to serve as a home for re-captured ferals.

The protection of native wildlife must take priority, particularly in a nation where many of the local fauna and flora do not exist elsewhere on the planet. However, we will only continue to see domesticated animals being released into the wild if we in the animal welfare community do not strive to prevent situations like this from happening. Through further restriction of sale by pet stores, comprehensive public education, stiffer penalties for releasing pets, increased availability of second homes, and the humane re-capture of feral domestics, we can reduce the devastating impact of invasive species on wildlife... without banning or exterminating beloved family pets!

How You Can Help:
Write letters to Mr. Richard Tilzey from the Bureau of Rural Sciences informing him that you strongly oppose the ban of Koi in Australia (known as the "Strategic Approach to the Management of Ornamental Fish in Australia"). Point out that Australian Koi keepers and breeders are great contributers to the world-wide Koi community. Mention the devastating impact a ban could have on Australia's lucrative Koi industry. But most importantly, write supporting more moderate approaches like those mentioned above, including public education, humane re-capture/rehoming, and the halt of Koi sales in pet stores.

Mr Richard Tilzey
Ornamental Fish Working Group
Bureau of Rural Sciences
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601
Email: richard.tilzey@brs.gov.au

Additional Information:
Link to PDF file containing entire text of proposed ban.
Link to ongoing discussion on the ban.