E-commerce and Caulerpa: unregulated dispersal of invasive
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clarionreef
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Right,
It would be a shame to get in some nice calerpa....let it go by mistake in the San Franscisco Bay...and have it die overnight.
Sharks are banned in Arizona and Piranhas in Washington state.
The regulation of millions of small packages w/ DHL, FED-EX, UPS et al. would be an invasive policy and procedure that would alter the 99.99% of all legal and normal commerce.
Kinda like stopping all traffic heading North out of Florida to check for live rock in the spring break traffic.
The knee jerk call to regulate all things implies that there would be a link between the problem and the proposed remedy.
Steve
It would be a shame to get in some nice calerpa....let it go by mistake in the San Franscisco Bay...and have it die overnight.
Sharks are banned in Arizona and Piranhas in Washington state.
The regulation of millions of small packages w/ DHL, FED-EX, UPS et al. would be an invasive policy and procedure that would alter the 99.99% of all legal and normal commerce.
Kinda like stopping all traffic heading North out of Florida to check for live rock in the spring break traffic.
The knee jerk call to regulate all things implies that there would be a link between the problem and the proposed remedy.
Steve
Linda J. Walters
Department of Biology, UCF, Orlando Florida [email protected]
Professional aquarist and hobbyists are thought to be the source of invasions of aquarium strain of the green macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia in the Mediterranean, southern California, and Australia. The US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (SUSDA-SPHIS) restricted interstate commerce and importation of the Mediterranean clone of C. taxifolia prior to the California invasion and is currently deciding if it should strengthen regulations of the genus as more species of Caulerpa are being described as invasive Here we document the importance of e-commerce as a mode of dispersal for many species of Caulerpa in the United States. We purchased Caulerpa from 30 Internet retailers and 60 Internet auction sites representing 25 states and Great Britain. Twelve different Caulerpa species were confirmed using DNA sequencing. Only 10.6% of sellers provided the correct genus and species names with their shipments. Thirty purchases of "live rock" provided four species of Caulerpa, as well as 53 additional marine species. Our results confirm the extensive e-commerce availability of this invasive genus and its high dispersal potential via postal services and hobbyists. We recommend that both eBay and the USDA maximize regulation of Caulerpa.
I typed this abstract out from the Journal as it is not online as of 3-10-06. So any typeos, (misspellings) are most likely mine.
I would suggest emailing the author and asking for a PDF reprint of the paper. I can make a PDF from the Journal but its not exactly legal to email it around.
It's a well conducted study, paper doesn't really take sides or make outrageous statements, the authors don't seem to be against the aquarium trade, more pointing out a source of concern. They do in their last paragraph discuss education as the best bet for prevention of releases.
Also I wonder why they authors were not at Marine Ornamentals in Las Vegas.
Personally I don't see any difference between online vs. LFS purchases of live rock or algae other than the interstate commerce part of it. So how does this effect live rock? I think that is the real question here.
Also, I think eBay needs someone on staff or contacted to check their auctions for species names and such used. May people sell snails and other animals under the wrong name to get higher prices.
This paper will be used by regulators and that is the most important thing about it.
Here is some Kalculations the authors use, to justify regulation.
"The $5 million spent on Caulerpa eradication in California would be equivalent to 142,857 purcahses of loose Caulerpa at an average of $35 per purchase. If 1% of these hobbyists dumped Caulerpa into nearby waters and 1% of these releases becamed established then at least $70 million (14 eradications X $5 million/reponse) will be required to achieve eradication. Pressuring eBay to eliminate all auctions of caulerpa and enchance federal regulation of Caulerpa would be considerable more cost-effective"
Department of Biology, UCF, Orlando Florida [email protected]
Professional aquarist and hobbyists are thought to be the source of invasions of aquarium strain of the green macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia in the Mediterranean, southern California, and Australia. The US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (SUSDA-SPHIS) restricted interstate commerce and importation of the Mediterranean clone of C. taxifolia prior to the California invasion and is currently deciding if it should strengthen regulations of the genus as more species of Caulerpa are being described as invasive Here we document the importance of e-commerce as a mode of dispersal for many species of Caulerpa in the United States. We purchased Caulerpa from 30 Internet retailers and 60 Internet auction sites representing 25 states and Great Britain. Twelve different Caulerpa species were confirmed using DNA sequencing. Only 10.6% of sellers provided the correct genus and species names with their shipments. Thirty purchases of "live rock" provided four species of Caulerpa, as well as 53 additional marine species. Our results confirm the extensive e-commerce availability of this invasive genus and its high dispersal potential via postal services and hobbyists. We recommend that both eBay and the USDA maximize regulation of Caulerpa.
I typed this abstract out from the Journal as it is not online as of 3-10-06. So any typeos, (misspellings) are most likely mine.
I would suggest emailing the author and asking for a PDF reprint of the paper. I can make a PDF from the Journal but its not exactly legal to email it around.
It's a well conducted study, paper doesn't really take sides or make outrageous statements, the authors don't seem to be against the aquarium trade, more pointing out a source of concern. They do in their last paragraph discuss education as the best bet for prevention of releases.
Also I wonder why they authors were not at Marine Ornamentals in Las Vegas.
Personally I don't see any difference between online vs. LFS purchases of live rock or algae other than the interstate commerce part of it. So how does this effect live rock? I think that is the real question here.
Also, I think eBay needs someone on staff or contacted to check their auctions for species names and such used. May people sell snails and other animals under the wrong name to get higher prices.
This paper will be used by regulators and that is the most important thing about it.
Here is some Kalculations the authors use, to justify regulation.
"The $5 million spent on Caulerpa eradication in California would be equivalent to 142,857 purcahses of loose Caulerpa at an average of $35 per purchase. If 1% of these hobbyists dumped Caulerpa into nearby waters and 1% of these releases becamed established then at least $70 million (14 eradications X $5 million/reponse) will be required to achieve eradication. Pressuring eBay to eliminate all auctions of caulerpa and enchance federal regulation of Caulerpa would be considerable more cost-effective"
"Also, I think eBay needs someone on staff or contacted to check their auctions for species names and such used. May people sell snails and other animals under the wrong name to get higher prices.
"
Ya think?
This will never happen though. They want the item to sell for a high price.
The higher the price the better for ebay because they get a bigger cut.
I think that would be one HUGE undertaking.
"
Ya think?
This will never happen though. They want the item to sell for a high price.
The higher the price the better for ebay because they get a bigger cut.
I think that would be one HUGE undertaking.
JustPhish":2feo7fo7 said:
:roll: Guess your not oe of them then, huh? FWIW, most will, I've asked
Being a marine farmer myself, I'd love to grow and sell it, but hey, I live in northern CA where it's cold. This stuff will take over in seconds according to CA F&G. Yup :lol:
most[/i] will, I've asked
As a matter of fact that's right, what of it? What you posted was all of them would. I thought in this forum we were supposed to be smarter than that. I see now it only matters if one of the sides is casting stones. No one will tolerate someone who stereotypes the brick and mortar places...but all the BM whiners will think nothing of speaking out of the other side of their mouth and do the same to etail places.
FWIW, I have been on both sides of the fence...for a decent amount of time.
Whoa there, I truly ment no offense. Definilty not worth getting all worked up like in your post I'm neither a B&M, nor an etailer. I freely roam all sides of the fence as well
FWIW, many CA LFS and wholesalers sell it as well. Being on the other side of the law, I chose not to sell it.
I'm neither a B&M, nor an etailer. I freely roam all sides of the fence as well FWIW, many CA LFS and wholesalers sell it as well. Being on the other side of the law, I chose not to sell it.
All joking aside, I doubt any etailer is going to come here and admit that they are knowingly shipping out illegal species of caulerpa. By and large it sounds like more a crime of ignorance, than maliciousness. Instead of defensive posturing, it would be more helpful to discuss the possible ramifications of more restrictive legislation. Caulerpa can enter the trade via anything with an attached substrate. I've seen it pop up on wild and cultured live rock, and also on wild and cultured corals. About the only things that don't bring it in are the fish and mobile invertebrates. And even urchins and hermit crabs could be possible carriers. Allowing the trade in live rock and coral to continue, and stopping the entry of caulerpa into the country are mutually exclusive.
Mitch
Mitch
clarionreef
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Andy,
To draw a line that crosses all the nations boundaries cannot be drawn.
To ban it and control it in the areas of relevance...ie. warmer areas where it actually has a chance to survive should be the focus.
For example....below what laditude in California could it conceiveably take hold?
In Mexico ...the fruit fly swat teams set up as you near the territory where the fly may actually set up shop....then the control zone is much, much smaller.
Why not do the same with the calerpa?
Steve
To draw a line that crosses all the nations boundaries cannot be drawn.
To ban it and control it in the areas of relevance...ie. warmer areas where it actually has a chance to survive should be the focus.
For example....below what laditude in California could it conceiveably take hold?
In Mexico ...the fruit fly swat teams set up as you near the territory where the fly may actually set up shop....then the control zone is much, much smaller.
Why not do the same with the calerpa?
Steve
vitz":28d6bpw0 said:
The US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (SUSDA-SPHIS) restricted interstate commerce and importation of the Mediterranean clone of C. taxifolia prior to the California invasion.
Read the part in red vitz and you shall find the clarification you seek. I don't know any true brick and mortars around here that ship out. I don't believe any local laws prohibit selling it so why would anyone feel the need to lie about it?
Unless the laws were changed recently, not all Caulerpa species are illegal in California. C. prolifera is fine anywhere in the State except San Diego County, they have a specific ordinance banning it as well. C. paspaloides (I know I killed the spelling) may not be on that list either, but I don't have the full list in front of me so it might be...but I don't remember seeing it.
I had attended a seminar at UC Davis to discuss the ban on this caulerpa that was causing such a havic on the Meditteranean. In attendance were representatives of many industries such at the Bait Industry, Flower Industry, Aquarium Industry, US Dept. of Agriculture, US Dept. of Fisheries, and someone representing cruise ships...maybe some others I can't remember any more. Marshall Myers of PIJAC and someone from Petco was also in attendance. I was the only Aquarium Marine wholesaler at the meeting.
It was discussed that dna would be the only possible way to absolutely know for sure which specie of caulerpa was the taxifolia, and that even though I had offered to send samples of what we had been regularly receiving from Indonesia, nobody was interested nor had the budget to test the dna...so my offer was not accepted.
It was later decided, and thanks in much to Pijac, that only "look-a-like" species would be banned. So red caulerpa was saved, and we didn't lose the whole group of species.
Very interesting workshop, but the point of invasive species and their impact was made loud and clear, and now I see more and more advertisements about it in our trade magazines......with the PIJAC stamp on those ad's.
We need to continue the education of the law, and let those know they are dealing in an illegal specie. Most really don't know about it....just us mainstream guys I suppose. So if you see an etailer or retailer with that specie...don't be afraid to mention it.
Best regards
Eric
It was discussed that dna would be the only possible way to absolutely know for sure which specie of caulerpa was the taxifolia, and that even though I had offered to send samples of what we had been regularly receiving from Indonesia, nobody was interested nor had the budget to test the dna...so my offer was not accepted.
It was later decided, and thanks in much to Pijac, that only "look-a-like" species would be banned. So red caulerpa was saved, and we didn't lose the whole group of species.
Very interesting workshop, but the point of invasive species and their impact was made loud and clear, and now I see more and more advertisements about it in our trade magazines......with the PIJAC stamp on those ad's.
We need to continue the education of the law, and let those know they are dealing in an illegal specie. Most really don't know about it....just us mainstream guys I suppose. So if you see an etailer or retailer with that specie...don't be afraid to mention it.
Best regards
Eric
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