naesco":358v8tpi said:
1. I have the outmost respect for Steve. I feel and understand his frustrations.
Yet you ignore him.
It is my belief that banning the import of cyanide caught fish will accomplish the following.
Here is the number one problem.
How do you propose to ban the import of juiced fish when you know full well there is no useful cyanide test?
increase the price paid to the fishers. Everyone will be scrambling to buy net caught fish
Since there is no way to test for juice, all exports from the given area will have to be stopped, net caught or no. What about exporting to other countries that don't ban the importation of juiced fish?
create more jobs for Islanders in aquacultural pursuits
And the funds for the come from where? Why not do that now and let the profits show that its better than juicing?
improve the health of the reefs which in turn will provide more and healthier fish, coral and inverts.
Except you aren't talking about banning juicing, just the import of juiced fish. There is no reason to expect that juicing for food fish will not continue, nor is there a reason to expect that other countries will allow the import of juiced fish so juicing will continue.
provide numerous positions stateside and on the islands for those who provide training, sustainability and other needed advice.
With what money?
2. I have no intention of strong arming anyone.
Maybe its a language thing. You wrote: 'I have done everything I can to have industry understand that cyanide can no longer be accepted and
they must choose a leader, and take steps to regulate their own industry.'
The bolding was even yours.
3. I tried to convince industry to take the cyanide issue seriously.
How? Who? Did you give a talk at MO? Did you write impassioned articles published in trade magazines? Did you create a method for industry people to communicate with each other regarding these issues?
I spent hours on this board as you are aware.
You mean you have been trying to use this forum as a place to get something done? This is a hobbyist forum, not an industry forum?
I privately encourage industry types to choose a leader and seriously thought one would surface.
I think that hope shows a lack of knowledge about this industry.
I don't think he will take that position now.
Who, and why do you think you are qualified to choose such a leader?
4. I have contacted the US Task Force and offered my support and my help. After the summer is over I will speak with their Counsel and offer my services.
Please direct them to this thread so they can see that you have little to no expertise in this field.
5. I am done trying to convince industry that they should organize themselves so that they could self regulate the industry they are a part of.
How long have you been trying? How many actual hours?
6. You are wrong on the last point to made.
It was Philippines AND Indonesia.
That is a triviality and misses my actual point. Your elaboration strengthens my point - banning juiced imports from PI and Indo means banning all fish imports because there is not way to tell juiced fish from net caught fish.
The US Task Force will exempt certified net caught fish IMO.
How are they to be certified? How is the US going to go into other countries and enforce certification? Where is the money coming from to pay for the tracking of the certification?
Obviously it has never been my position that net caught fish should be banned.
What I think you need to realize is that it is a very real possibility given the direction you are pushing.
You really don't think that government would do a blanket ban? Have you looked at some of the history of government involvement in the trade? What about the other countries that won't ban the importation? It is illegal to sell boas and pythons in SF based on the idea that they get too big, yet the fact that ball pythons only get between 4 and 5 feet (the same size of 'legal' snakes) has fallen on deaf ears and all of them were banned.