Public Facilities
One objective of the Goodeid Working Group is to unify hobbyists and professionals in the purpose to conserve Goodeids. But why is it preferable to complement the number of hobbyists with zoo professionals, veterinarians, scientists or graduates?
What are the capabilities of a public facility like a zoo, a museum or an aquarium? What makes them so important?
Most of the Goodeid species are endangered in the wild. Though hobbyists are often very ingenious and altruistic in their activities to conserve fish – think of the late Ivan Dibble – these activities are mainly restricted to other aquarists. Besides the most important thing - breeding them in captivity - there are principally two things hobbyists can do to help to conserve Goodeids. One is to donate money to groups like the Fish Ark Mexico Project, who apply it in conservation projects or breeding facilities in Mexico. The second is to write articles for specialist magazines or make speeches in hobbyist clubs. Both are very good methods to make Goodeids more common among aquarists and possibilities to point to the situation of Goodeids in the wild. However, the impact of these activities is restricted to other aquarists.
By contrast, Zoos and Aquaria have the capability to reach a different group and a higher number of people. By displaying Goodeids in the exhibition, by telling the man in the street how difficult it will be for a lot of Goodeid species to survive this decade, public facilities like Zoos and Aquaria have the great chance to give conservation efforts a maximum range.
One of the most important vehicles to give the people a wake-up call is the exhibition. Showing Goodeids and designing diligent legends are the best way to make this group of fish attractive to the visitor. Information boards and posters give additional possibilities to inform the people locally. A way full of beautiful pictures to create attention had been shown by Günther Schleussner, who published 2010 an article about Goodeids in the Wilhelma magazine, a magazine for visitors of the German Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart.
Zoos and Aquaria have available long term experiences in conservation work. These experiences and efforts can be inserted in the conservation of Goodeids, too. Some British Zoos for example have running breeding programs for endangered Mexican fish, including species of Goodeids, for a couple of years now. Additionally, they collect money to fund the Fish Ark Mexico Project. Such breeding and conservation programs have always been in the center of public interest.
Universities and Museums can support the conservation of Goodeids differently. Of course, they have the same possibility to run breeding programs like the University in Morelia does, but they are also able to employ forces in scientific work and research. The results are in all cases very interesting for people working in conservation and can be used directly to answer questions occurring in the disappearance of some fish in the wild or solve breeding problems. In reverse, hobbyists can feed scientists with valuable questions and fish for researches.
All efforts of sheer voluntary groups - how serious and magnificent their work might be – have always the touch of hobby. Public facilities give the Goodeid Working Group an important possibility to show our seriousness outwards.
A table of the public members of the Goodeid Working Group, in alphabetical order:
Aquazoo-Löbbecke Museum Düsseldorf MAP
Haus des Meeres – Aqua Terra Zoo MAP
Jászberényi Állat- és Növénykert
Nyíregyházi Állatpark - Sóstó Zoo
Palais de la Porte Dorée Aquarium Tropical de Paris MAP
Tropicarium és Oceanárium Budapest
Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo MAP
Wilhelma Zoologisch-Botanischer Garten Stuttgart MAP
Zoological Society of London, London Zoo MAP
School project
In Oktober 2013, the first school became member of the GWG, trying to build up a breeding and conserving facility. It is the Lajos Kossuth Gimnázium in Mosonmagyaróvar in Hungary. About 10 up to 15 species should be bred there, starting in November or December 2013. Here you can read about the project.