<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Anemone:
<strong>Fishaholic,
I think you need to cut Mary a break. Her point about who is doing what research is well taken. The fact that a zoo organization (AZA) is supporting research is great, but the fact that aquariums/zoos are conducting "most" of the research in a given survey doesn't tell us what is being researched, or what application it may have to the hobby (your Nurse Shark story is a great success story, but I have no intention of trying to keep that in my tank, so captive fertilization methods for these sharks doesn't really help me (or the hobby) a whole lot).
As another example, you make a disparaging comment about "strip-mining" wholesalers wishing to have themsleves associated with C-Quest or ORA (
industry organizations conducting research and promoting captive-bred livestock), yet jump all over anyone who suggests that AZA members may not all be sweetness and light. I think everyone here agrees that there are "less than perfect" collectors and wholesalers out there, but in the long run, they have an economic interest in the long-term success of the aquarium hobby industry. This economic self-interest is the basis, at least, for instituting controls that will allow the hobby to exist long term (as versus the total destruction of the reef ecosystem).
As you have already said, you don't care about the existence of the hobby (or actually, whether it exists at all). I do. I think "industry" supported researh is more likely to discover captive breeding and successful feeding strategies for say, mandarin dragonettes, than SeaWorld would. The hobby drives research through its consumer spending. Without the hobby, that economic incentive dries up
No doubt, the "industry" needs to step up and put its house in order. This process has begun, both by fledgeling attempts to address environmental issues (training of collectors, captive propagation of corals and clams in other countries) </strong><hr></blockquote>
Kevin I high lighted this in an attempt to answer these Questions.
I will cut Mary a break when she posts facts, if she can point to who is doing research that is all fine and good but to say that most of it is being done by The Industry without one stich of supporting fact is nothing short of propaganda.
I will also cut Mary a break when she and others start taking measures to help the fledgling oper
ators who are captive propagating corals. She has said that she would not stop importing corals that are easily propagated because these corals are fast growing and sustainable. Although scientists have shown hat coral reefs need the skeletons of dead corals to keep building and staying healthy, I say healthy because ony certain corals are harvested for this hobby. The reef needs all the corals to help build the reef itself. If the corals that are easily propagated were left to operaters, fledgling or not to grow and those exact corals were left to the wild you would see captive propagating operators raise this hobby to a hobby that adds and helps the wild reefs instead of being a parisite to it.
I do beleive that importers that only take and give nothing back are just that Strip mining. In farming you most sow the fields before harvesting, Aquacultered live rock is a good example of this, do importers that do not put anything in the ocean deserve the right to say the are farming, no. They are definitly not propagating anything, so if you have a more appropriate term than stip mining, thats fine but I think this best describes what they are doing. I do not think it is appropriate for people who only take to say they have anything to do with businesses who tank raise animals because the action of presenting a competeing product that is wild caught takes business away from the people who haveput a great deal of investment into doing what is best, not just what makes a quick buck. We are talking about two different industries that compete with each other for the same money, so I do not at all think it is appropriate for a importer of strictly wild caught fish and corals to say they are helping the captive industry because they are hurting them and our hobby.
As far as AZA goes If someone understands that this is an association, not some people I think they may understand bashing 'Them" means nothing. There are AZA programs that have been in place that would help but again it matters not to me if someone wants to bash somethng they have not taken the time to even learn what they are bashing.
My caring if this hobby exists is more to do with if this hobby can exist without damaging the reefs.
Our hobby should exist in an attempt to educate people of the importance and the beauty of the reefs of this planet. When importers are stipping these reefs when it is not neccessary to do so in order for our hobby to exist, are we doing good or bad?
I do no think a ban is neccesary if importers can see that they should have restraint in what they bring in. However Mary has stated she and others will not stop importing corals that are propagated. So if this is the way this is going to keep going then yes I am for a ban so our hobby can be a hope for the reefs instead of a contibuting factor in the deaths of them.
Whether you want to communicate with people who would support a ban in an attempt to save wild reefs and our hobby, that is up to you. Our hobby would continue and florish if a ban of wild caught corals started today. Myself and others would look to a ban to preserve our hobby and the world we live in. Importers who keep taking corals that can be grown without impacting wild populations are hurting this hobby and only looking to make a buck In my opinion.
