Reefs.com - Saltwater Aquarium - Reef Aquarium
  • Why not take a moment to introduce yourself to our members?

This has to suck.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Dace

Dace

Advanced Reefer
Location
Manhattan
Rating - 99.7%
393   1   0
prattreef said:
I don't think you need to throw them away Dave. No one is going to knock on your door over this. :) My point was simply that these are smuggled quite frequently, and Russo was unfortunately the one that was caught. It does reflect badly on the hobby when this stuff happens and gives ammunition to those that want to heavily regulate or shut it down.
Click to expand...

Understood Randy, Thank you for pointing that out.
 
CoralReefer

CoralReefer

SPS Junkie
Manhattan Reefs
Location
Northern Westchester
Rating - 95.9%
70   3   0
prattreef said:
I don't think you need to throw them away Dave. No one is going to knock on your door over this. :) My point was simply that these are smuggled quite frequently, and Russo was unfortunately the one that was caught. It does reflect badly on the hobby when this stuff happens and gives ammunition to those that want to heavily regulate or shut it down.
Click to expand...

I originally felt bad for the guy because I felt the penalties where a little harsh for the crime committed. After reading this I don't feel bad for him at all. I don't know what I would do if having a reeftank was monitored or illegal. I am friends with this guy on Instagram who is from Russia and he has the most insane zoa collection I have ever seen but can't ship any corals out because of the government.
Anyway thanks prattreef.
 
Y

yah-the submariner

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 100%
11   0   0
This is understandable but but crazy!! Keyword is perspective IMO. i mean sure "don't do the crime if you can't do the crime" we all say that until it's us.Also,yes the gentleman clearly knew he was doing something illegal and probably made a fair amount of money off of this for quite some time. The fine therefore in my opinion is sufficient. the Jail time seems extreme consider the specific of the act vs the overall crime(smuggling as a whole). the fact that Narcotics of the same volume,human trafficking and even murder nets you less time and money is disturbing. Also anyone who uses the justification for extreme sentencing as "just don't do anything illegal" better be careful with Jay walking and those mattress tags.LOL
 
DEL

DEL

reef guy in jc
Manhattan Reefs
Location
edison
Rating - 100%
98   0   0
To me its just dumb. The justice system is dumb. You gonna give a guy 1 year for bringing in corals and fish, and you give a murdered or someone who beats up kids a slap on the wrist. Messed up man. Pisses me off. Let us hobbyists be. I'm sure whoever has the money for those rare corals must have a good enough system to take care of them. Just my $0.02
 
G

Geraud

Advanced Reefer
Manhattan Reefs
Supporter
Location
Manhattan
Rating - 100%
52   0   0
Regarding the sentence, I think the most important part is the "smuggling" part. They probably do not care if it is corals or fish or cats and dogs for that matter.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents said Russo, who sells fish and coral to wholesale businesses, was caught when he smuggled 12 pieces of dendrophyllia coral into the U.S. in November 2011. It was hidden in a shipment inspected Nov. 29, 2011, in the customs area of China Airlines at Kennedy Airport, agents said in court papers.The coral is protected under an international endangered-species treaty.
Click to expand...
366 days in jail for 12 pieces of Dendrophylia seems silly nevertheless. Was it forbidden to import it in 2011? If not, why smuggle it?

ps: the CITES list is what is absolutely forbidden. but a country might choose to not give CITES export permits for some corals. For instance Rhizotrochus...
 
Reefcowboy

Reefcowboy

Advanced Reefer
Manhattan Reefs
Location
Long Island
Rating - 100%
43   0   0
Many people prob do this. no offense but China has shown not to give a d*mn about animal rights. I was a few weeks ago at a store(not going to give the name, even though i feel like doing so t let everyone know) in NJ and a white van came by with tinted windows and two guys came to the store and started talking to the guys that worked there. I was observing and the store crew just kind of waited until some customers left so they could go in the van and check the corals. One of the guys that worked there started telling me how these guys (sellers)were shady, and how cheap their corals were. Big pieces of zoas for like $5 and so on. Im not blaming that store for acting illegaly, but i know from the dudes mouth these guys were selling illegaly. The issue is sooner or later the reef hobby will have a big reduction of trade and most of the corals we have will be protected brcause of acts like this. If stores keep buying from them, they are motivated to keep selling illegaly.
Another thing that pisses me off is chinese FS in Brooklyn dont charge taxes if you pay cash. I pay my duties and feel it is crap that they think the rules dont apply to them. Wonder why cities/ government dont start busting this.

IMO when the seller dont charge taxes, the sale didnt happen to the government, and the whole thing smells like one big illegal trade involving fish corals and everything else.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top