Ban Live Rock Imports

[JeremyR]

We had permitted orchids confiscated by a customs ag agent because she saw "fungus". When I told here it wasn't fungus, I got the "I have a PHD lecture". While lecturing me, she let a costa rican thru who had brought a bunch of chicken meat which was not allowed and told her not to do it again, and let her keep the meat. They sent the orchids to miami, tortured them for a month, and then let us have them. It's pretty amazing the power & leeway these people have and what they can do depending on what mood they are in and whether they like you or not.

 

[bobimport]

Well let me out "Don"
That's Don De Maria he is in the rock business and has several leases for cultured rock and is trying to shut down everyone who imports rock so he can get his money out of a bad investment. Oh and he sits on the marine life advisory board. Where he can pimp his productsThe price of rock has plunged and hit "rock" bottom Pun intended. He told me to my face that he was trying to shut down imported rock so his would be worth more.
Everyone on the Marine life board try's to pass regulation to enhance their little part of the business. Forest of DyNasty marine hates the fact that I get rock out of Haiti. Really hates the fact that ricordia comes from Haiti. I have a tape of the meeting where he purposed sending an expedition to Haiti to "prove" that orange ricordia is not found in Haiti. Like someone could go down there and "prove" that. I thought he was smarter than that, but I guess not. You have no idea of the backstabbing that goes on in the Keys. I regularly hear divers say "my spot" he was diving on "my reef"
Know why there is a limit on Florida condy's of 400?
It was rammed through by Ken N to stop the "Miami divers" from coming down to collect in "his" spots I know, it was divers that were selling to me that pissed him off. So lets make it un profitable for someone to drive down from Miami. Phrases like "those Miami collectors" come down to "our" spots get tossed around a lot.
So know "Don" for who he is just another collector trying to shut down someone's business, or livelihood or to break someone's rice bowl so he can sell his inferior product. He cant sell aquicultured rock with the price of boat rock dropping under $1 a lb FOB lax. So the answer?raise false alarms every chance you get. Gee lets ban Astras from the Keys. Better yet lets just ban everything that I collect in Haiti. That would be a fun law.
Make no mistake about it . The attacks on imported live rock comes from the domestic live rock producers.

 

[clarionreef]

Bob,
The syndrome sounds so famliar.
So, some of todays righteous whistle blowers are just..... competitors.
And although the locals may already know the phoney motive, the outta-towners dont and may give it credence.
Seems to me if you know say Tonga or Hawaiian politics, ya know it all as it seems to follow that faking and claiming environmental concern is just the new way of trashing a competitor.
Steve

 

[bobimport]

I hope "Don " will disclose that he has a lease to aquaculture rock and is trying to increase the value of his "stock"