How to regulate the hobbie and still win!

[suckair]

This is some thing I have thinking about for a long time.


There is a big debate on the regulation of the hobby. As we know many corals are over harvested and sold to new reef keepers that like the pretty colors or polyp extension they see in a LFS. Also tens of thousands fish and other live stock is destroyed every year due inexperienced reef keepers or retailers that sell live stock with profit being the only thing in their minds!

What I purpose is…

We need an international regulation system that works similar to PADI or NAUI! Aqua cultured livestock should be sold with out restriction but wild collected should require a “c card” or license to purchase.

The local fish shops can take part by providing certification training required and new hobbyists could get the proper training before purchasing gonipora, mandrinfish, and other livestock! The island collectors would work on aqua culturing once wild collected species so they could sell them as non-restricted so their way of life would continue. As the hobbyist we would win because species that will soon be restricted and no longer available would still be available for those that have the proper training, the local fish shops would continue to make money thru training and non restricted species and stress on reefs caused by collection would be reduced. No one would get hurt, but everyone would have to change a little. The big winner would be the reefs!


Now that I have this idea, anyone have an idea on how to make it happen?

Thanks
Randall

 

[Anonymous]

You have mail

 

[dmentnich]

What can I say, I like the idea, but with the ignorance of some of the stores I do not know if they should be able to give out the licences. They are also in it for the money so they would still love to sell SPS to a newbie with NO lighting, and one or two that I have seen would probably tell them that it will help them cycle their tank. But I like the idea in principal with the addition of stopping the import of species which are becoming threatened and closely monitoring the reefs.

[ December 23, 2001: Message edited by: danny150 ]</p>