There is a thread here on PC from Dec. 2004 discussing this topic. One of the things it covers is there actually was a ban on the import of specific fish, which included zebras, at about that time. In that thread there is also a discussion of the up coming permitted list.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... c&start=30
Here is the relevant quote:
What you said are true. Zebra is temporarily prohibited for trading, pending a study and evaluation. Brazilian ichthyologists are currently revising a new list of permitted species with IBAMA. The new list probably will include 600-700 freshwater fishes that can be exported. It is an impossible task to inspect fishes.
the above was posted by:
Prof. Ning Labbish Chao, PhD
Departamento de Ciências Pesqueiras
Universidade do Amazonas - Projeto Piaba
Av. Gal. Rodrigo Otavio Jordão Ramos, 3000
69700-000 Manaus - AM, Brazil
So it seems as if two things are true- One is that there was a time when zebra plecos were specifically banned from being caught or exported. Also that the was some sort of permitted list well before 2012.
The other interesting part of the thread is where it indicates the permitted list was apparently only 400 species and that the new list would likely contain 600-700 fish.
There is another thread from about 6 months earlier which supports the above
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... c&start=30
That thread indicates that zebras are prohibited from being fished let alone not allowed for export.
@Walter
The information I have read indicated that the onset of the rainy season for the central Brazil region usually starts between Sept and Nov. So I thought perhaps this was the time the water levels in the Big Bend should be rising. Since the official posture is that water levels will be maintained at peak dry season levels year round, I was looking for confirmation from somebody actually there that the normal rise was not happening or that this info was wrong a water levels were indeed rising. Please keep us posted.
@Jools
I have never heard of a registered population of zebras. Is this something unique to the UK or the EU. And then I would also ask, how can anybody prove they have either tank raised or wild caught fish? A certificate can be forged or be an outright lie. So while the idea behind them may be a good one, it does not actually guarantee the source of a fish using verified science. As far as I know this is not possible, at least not without killing the fish to try and determine this?
Finally, I acquired my proven breeder group in Apr. 2006 along with several fry. These fish had to be in the 3 to 4 year old range. I wonder if any of them were illegally removed from Brazil? However, here is what I do know. I placed many 100s of F1 zebras with other fish keeper since early 2007. Every group of the tank raised fish that went out mean two things. The first was the buyer would hopefullly grow them out and get them spawning. That would make more tank raised fish available. Morover, every one I placed was one less zebra that might have had to come out of the Xingu to meet that demand.
let's assume for the sake of discussion that all 13 zebras in my group had been originally removed from Brazil in violation of the law or regulations. Didn't that actually have the effect of saving other fish still there? I would observe that in 2006, and especially earlier, is was not easy to find F1 zebras. Today this is no longer true.
Only more time will tell if the zebras survive in the wild. I am in the camp of those who believe they will not. However, in considering the illegal removal of them and the potential consequences of that vs the reverse have different outcomes if one vie or the other proves to be wrong.
If those who believe they will not survive the dam are correct, then the illegal removal has created a worldwide captive population the will preserve the species. If we are wrong and the illegal removal crashes the wild population, could it not be re-established from captive populations returned to the the Xingu as long as the conditions there could still support them? On the other hand if those who believe no wilds should be collected since we do not know for sure they won't survive are wrong and they are wiped out, they are lost forever. Which point of view will have the worst outcome if it is incorrect?
I am not so sure how black and white this whole issue really is (excuse the pun).