What's the difference?

[Anonymous]

Scenario #1
U.S. legislation closes down much of the export of MO species. The collectors switch to unsustainable food and other collection activities. The reefs become critically depleted/damaged and humanitarian aid is required to help an impoverished fisher folk.

Scenario #2
The status quo continues. The collectors continue with unsustainable collection activities. The reefs become critically depleted/damaged and humanitarian aid is required to help an impoverished fisher folk.

Either way the fisher folk and the reefs are hurt.

The only differences I see are that scenario #2 offers a few extra years for possible voluntary ecological reform, and a few more years of profit taking. In light of the dismal history of reform efforts and the dismal outlook for the future wouldn't it be most ethical to support legislation in order to give a strong wake up call for ecological reform to all parties involved before more damage is done?

For the sake of discussion,
Lee

 

[Anonymous]

However minor it may or may not be, you forgot to factor in the effects of a newly created black market..

 

[naesco]

Lee I have been trying to wake them up for years.

The only option is government mandated bans until proper regulations are in place to deal with cyanide, sustainability and training.

 

[JennM]

You gonna bring government mandated welfare to the villages, Wayne? PI isn't Canada.

Jenn

 

[Kalkbreath]

Please name me one reef in the world that has been damaged by over collection by our trade? Its a silly notion and one that still remains in the public even though there has never been one single reef that can be shown to have been depleted of life from over collection . Our trade only collects 2% of the fish species on any reef in PI . One might be able to show that there is a reef where Regal tangs are in short supply due to over collection ........But the other twenty species of brown tangs that our industry does not collect fill in the gap just fine . Regal tangs are native to very few reefsworldwide anyway so reefs without Blue tangs are a quite natural and heathy place . The only area of our trade that one can point to as harmful to the reefs is cyanide . But our trade collects so few fish in the region and even fewer fish that are targeted with cyanide that its silly to blame our trade for the handy work of the only indusrty that collects in enough volume to effect a large portion of the reefs Food fish industry.