# Michigan Attempting To Outlaw Piranhas?



## phensway (Apr 7, 2003)

I was talking to a LFS this week and the guy said they will not be carrying piranhas anymore because the state of michigan is trying to outlaw them. Does anyone know or heard anything about this? I know that 20 other states prevent hobbyist from owning piranhas so i am sure it won't be hard to do. The overriding issue is that they are worried about piranhas in our native waters, but with our water freezing every winter piranhas breeding should not be a problem. questions, concerns, or input? I hope it doesnt happen


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Most lfs' don't know jack about piranhas... most of them 'round here think they're still illegal in Oregon.

If they do illegalize them, they're a bunch of utter morons.


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## Guest (May 6, 2011)

I never understood that, why outlaw something if the species can't thrive in the ecosystem.


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## phensway (Apr 7, 2003)

Take for example the 20 others states that outlaw them, if someone wants it done it probably wont be hard. So stock up!


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Ouch! That's gonna hurt! Tons of piranha keepers in Michigan. Probably more than any other state.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

i dont believe that sh*t, they probably said that to cover that fact that they don have any


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## davery08 (Mar 4, 2011)

If it happens to Michigan I'm sure Indiana will follow then I'll be pissed!


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

You can thank Jeremy Wade (River Monsters) for recreating the panic on piranhas.


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## Guest (May 6, 2011)

How so? He dispelled a lot of myths about them, unless I missed something.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

sh*t just the name of the show. River monsters & then follow up with the word piranha is enough to throw the masses & the law makers into a tizzy. Or some moron to throw a piranha in a lake or river & media get wind, it won't be pretty! Or even a pacu being how most people can't even tell em apart. I hate to say it but they're gonna do piranha just like they did snakeheads.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Part of the episode at the end when the riverino said his child was eaten by piranhas alive. He said that confirmed the deadly nature of piranhas and live people being eaten. Of course he neglected the obvious. The parents were killing and cleaning fish on the river house and dumping the blood and parts into the river. They themselves created the situation out of ignorance. Wade overlooked or simply decided to feed into the sensationalism. Makes better ratings, completely ignoring the reality. Same goes with bus crash "he found the facts on". Pure rubbish.


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## Guest (May 6, 2011)

Interesting, I have to re-watch the episode. I remember the end part about the child, but I remember him mentioning the fact they were gutting fish. Also the pool part where he got into it after dripping blood into it stating feeding frenzies are triggered by struggling, though I don't remember everything he said.
Though people nowadays are easily mislead, so could well be. Though Hollywood has always profited off misleading people, I think piranha 3d has more to do with it


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

The key is the piranha were "conditioned" to feed there. Its the same result anywhere on the amazon where fish cleaning is done regularly, particularly in closed off areas. The pool thing you mentioned proved little since the trapped fish were not conditioned to feed on a regular basis. Think of P cariba in venezuela and the birds that regularly fall in water. Same scenario...conditioning. Wade made little mention of that fact...certainly left the audience to draw their own conclusions. If regular folks don't understand Pavlos theory then of course they fear the obvious.


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## Johnny_Zanni (Nov 8, 2009)

Glad to see you still around Frank.


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## phensway (Apr 7, 2003)

unfortunately this is an issue every state will eventually be faced with. I have been keeping piranhas for 13 years now and hopefully there is no end in the future. I would be traumatized if and when it happens. Piranhas are frequently misinterpreted just like pit bulls, it depends on the person who manages them


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## rhom15 (Dec 20, 2009)

what happen to our RIGHTS


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to pay taxes. You have the right to do as we say. If you don't we have the right to take your sh*t & your freedom. That's your rights.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Too funny.


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

so stupid if thats true. there are a million species that can survive in cold michigan waters and absolutely destroy native fish and piranha have teeth so everyone is scared of them. i partly doubt its true but if anyone doesnt know any better they would have a bad opinion of piranha. 
piranha would do virtually nothing in inland waters...and would eventually die come cold weather, where lets just say species of carp...your lake is screwed


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Seems to be little truth to the rumor.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Damn that suks! I looked on web for anything, I didn't find anything other than about every two years piranha make the papers up there because someone's catching one, which may or not be a piranha in the first place. I suspect pacu in most cases. But its still casting a dark shadow as most can't tell the difference anyhow & it doesn't reflect well that hobbists would do such a thing. My home town & Des Moines has a ban on piranha. Its a sad deal. Hope it doesnt go that far in Michigan.


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

hastatus said:


> Damn that suks! I looked on web for anything, I didn't find anything


I looked all over the place and found nothing as well. 
You guys better believe that if there is some kind of truth to this and I find an address to send mail to, I'll post it up here asking for support from P-fury. 
I'll keep an eye out...


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## phensway (Apr 7, 2003)

i called a local petco and they said the same thing. Their franchise might just be scared to sell them but that's two for two. I have not been able to find anything on the web either. Lets hope its just a hoax


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA (Dec 8, 2003)

Even if they do ban here in Michigan I am not giving up sh*t. My fish my house and they better have a warrent. It would be hard for them to get all the P's out of this state.


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## Guest (May 9, 2011)

Wouldn't a ban prompt more inexperienced keepers to dump their p's in the rivers out of fear of prosecution?


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

Traveller said:


> Wouldn't a ban prompt more inexperienced keepers to dump their p's in the rivers out of fear of prosecution?


I would think that IF a ban went through somehow, they would avoid that by permitting everyone that currently owns piranha to keep what they have. Banning any further sales of the fish. 
If there was some kind of new law that required me to destroy my rhombeus I would completely ignore it. It wouldn't be the first time I kept a piranha in a dumb ass, ignorant state that believes that a law like this does some kind of good.


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## Ibanez247 (Nov 9, 2006)

They ban animals like this because they have teeth and could possibly kill someone. Possibly thats the trick. Humans are the woosiest creatures on the planet. Hell look at all the people that freak out over a spider no bigger than a dime. Not side track too much but it pisses me off when someone goes out into the wild gets attacked by whatever animal then they go out and kill whatever it was that killed the person. Even if they dont know for sure it was that specific animal. But yeah banning a tropical fish an a cold weather climate? Must be more political reasoning than natural.


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## rhom15 (Dec 20, 2009)

this is what i here even in cold water states the piranhas can live in summer mounths and thay can kill the native fish in a lake thats what i heard from fish and game it's still the dumb ass people that let them go in the first place that mess it up for everyone so never let fish go any kind of fish in waters it's not supposed to go in


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## bob351 (Oct 23, 2005)

piranhas need large numbers hence why they are shoaling fish, a single pike or muski even a huge LMB could easily take down a solo piranhas or two... not to mention the invasive snakehead


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