Dear Lawrence, it’s fine that you had the opportunity to visit Germany, travel with Peter Beyer and visit Martin Hallmann. It’s a pity that there was only one imported species (a bintan-form) at Glaser’s in Rodgau (the centre of imports for Europe since decades); they use the names given by the exporters in Asia, but they will change it after the German experts have identified the fish, if they are able to. A pity that you could not visit Hamburg and see the stock of Bernd Bussler’s, who has at least twelve if not fourteen or fifteen species , some of them in good numbers. You wouldn’t have left him without offspring of less than five or eight species.
We are not sure that the second meeting of the project that was postulated by all visitors at Hamburg 2015 including those from overseas will be really possible in Britain, as we actively tried to arrange; Helene has travelled there and asked our friends for their opinion. The main disadvantage is that there would hardly more than two or three species be available for the participants. And the other suggestion to meet at Singapore would mean that there would be even less.
In view of that fact we serioulsy think about a second meeting of the project taking place in Hamburg again. Bernd would make it possible that all visitors who want to take Paros away could do so with et least ten or twelve species, including tweediei, parvulus (presently his stock is more than eighty individials), paludicola from different locations, harveyi, spec. Lundu (“Sungai Stunggang”) and others.
For me, it sounds ridiculous that a global project like our PP should meet at the same place for a second time; we did not think of that ever before. But maybe that’s a prejudice. Seen in clear light one must admit that presently there is no place on earth where you could see and get hold of more Paro-species than Bernd Bussler’s private breeding station in Hamburg.
The consequence is this: In a few week’s time I shall write a newsletter to all members in all continents asking them what to do, telling this fact and offer the opportunity to arrange a second meeting maybe next year at exact the same place we had that in 2015: Hamburg, the same hotel, and the same offer: to visit Bernd Bussler’s breeding station and carry as many fish away as people would like to do. But I must ask another question: Would you, or someone living in Poland or in France or in Ireland or in the U.S. or in Malaysia or in Japan really t r y to come to Hamburg, again or for the first time? Nobody can tell this definitely by now, but we must have an impression of the understanding of our argument and the serious interest in our solution. Or should we meet elsewhere in spite of the lack of Paros?
What do you think? Would you try to come? Or would you think that the availability of Paros is of minor interest and there would be a preference for the global aspect of the PP?