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PeterIMA

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Several years ago (at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Bali, Indonesia). I met Dr. Lovell a biologist in Fiji who had done a study for Walt Smith that indicated that live rock harvest could be done sustainably. Or so he claimed. But, he never sent me a copy of the report. In any event, that did not factor in the huge die-off of corals (and maybe live rock?) that occurred due to the El Nino event in late 1998. A recent survey by the Bishop Museum staff for the government of Fiji (earlier this year) reported to the government of Fiji that the wild harvest of live rock and corals was unsustainable (partly due to the fact that less heathy reef now exists).

I have seen Walt Smith's film about how his firm collects corals from the wild to return them to his facility where biologists treat each animal with surgical precision. I also viewed how his company has pioneered the creation of artificial base rock, which is put out on the reef and later harvested as artificial live rock. The film also describes farming corals from frags grown out on reef areas. I fully endorse the latter approaches. Indeed, the IMA has two coral farms in the Philippines, where we teach Filipinos some of the same techniques (for rearing coral from frags and growing out hatchery-produced giant clams). I have a paper that describes these approachs titled "Territorial Use Rights In Fisheries To Manage Areas For Farming Coral Reef Fish And Invertebrates For The Aquarium Trade" Aquarium Sciences and Consevation 3: 119-134 (2001). Those of you who emailed me to request the Cyanide-Free Net-Caught ..paper will also receive the TURFs paper just cited. Anyone else interested in obtaining a copy should send me an email ([email protected])

While, the IMA does not claim to have invented any of these techniques (for culturing coral frags, live rock, and giant clams) we do believe they are preferable to wild harvest. They provide income to villagers and do not pollute/harm the environment. What is to some degree unique is my insistence that the communities or local governments control the allocation of space (TURFs) for mariculture and/or fisheries.

This is consistent with new laws that decentralized fisheries management in the Philippines. The Fisheries Act of 1998 places management at the municipal level. The creation of Collection Area Management Plans (CAMPs) advocated by the MAC is an example of TURFs approved by the municipality (usually through a management council) for fish collection and potentially for farming reef invertebrates. I have another paper coming out soon that depicts how the IMA has been using geographic information systems (GIS) to map coastal habitats to support informed decision-making about the allocation of space for fishing areas, and sites for mariculture.

Basically, Walt has the right ideas and is ahead of the curve. If a ban on coral collection or live rock harvest from the wild occurs in Fiji; he may be able to continue through export of cultured organisms provided from waters managed by local villagers. The government of Fiji should allow farmed invertebrates to be exported. Mike King is leading the way in promoting similar ideas in other countries like Western Samoa. So there is hope that the trade will continue and that coral reefs can be protected.

Peter Rubec
International Marinelife Alliance
 

dizzy

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Peter,

This reminds me of a conversation I had at MACNA with Daniel Knop. It seems Daniel and Thomas Heeger ( I believe) had started a coral fragging facility in the Philippines. Apparently if I understood correctly, after a few years of work and a financial investment, the Philippine government was not letting any of the frags be shipped out of the country. Clearly frustrated Daniel explained that he was moving his operations to an island in Indo. I think he planned on growing out the corals in troughs on land that had seawater flowing through. The island was a bit remote and electricity would have to be made with generators. Daniel made it sounds like the Indo farm is well underway. I think most of the corals Daniel raises are destined to be shipped to Germany or Europe.

The new National Aquarium in Taiwan is also planning on propagating corals in their huge tanks. Some of the corals will be available for restocking damaged reefs, and some will be sold to the pet trade. The aquarium in Taiwan uses the Jaubert NNR System. ORA in Ft. Pierce has also added stony and soft coral culture to their impressive work in cluturing clowns, gobies, and psuedos. ( They also rear peppermint shrimp, Bangaii cardinals, macro algae, etc.)

Clearly there are some good efforts underway to relieve some of the demand for wild corals. I think there is a possibility that Acropora species frags will be overproduced and it will be interesting to see how this effects supply and demand. It has been reported that Walt is having a difficult time selling all the cultured frags they are producing. With more and more frag swap meets popping up around the country it is difficult for me to believe that all the culturing efforts will be successful. Hopefully someone will begin to work intensively with large polyp stonies as well. Recent breakthroughs in rearing Centropyge angels is also another reason to be optimistic about the future of our industry.

Mitch
 

PeterIMA

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Mitch (Redneck). Thanks for the response to my posting about coral farming. I should mention that the coral farm that IMA presently maintains at Barangay Caw-oy on Olango Island was started by James Heeger with grants from the German government. I had not heard that he was working with Daniel Knopp on this.

I met Knopp at the MACNA meeting in Ft. Lauderdale several years ago. He discribed to me how he had worked with Dr. Edgardo Gomez of the University of the Philippines on giant clams. Apparently, Gomez and Knopp found out that the Bureau of Fisheries And Aquatic Resources (BFAR) would not allow clams to be exported for a scientific study. BFAR is still a problem with regard to export of CITES listed species. I suspect that by the time IMA gets permission for villagers trained by IMA to export corals, clams, or live rock that the market will be saturated from other sources. IMA does not seek to go into the trade. But, we believe that income from the trade to villagers also can help fund restoration efforts.

Peter Rubec
International Marinelife Alliance
 

dizzy

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Peter,

That certainly must be the same coral farm Daniel K. was referring too. We were talking at a late night social gathering around the pool at the recent MACNA in Ft. Worth. He did mention that the German government had provided grants for the project. I guess it was James Heeger and not Thomas. I didn't fully understand what Daniel's role in the project was. I think he was going to work on distribution back in Germany if the BFAR had cooperated.

Daniel did mention that the farm was still operational and that it might be used for restoration purposes. Apparently dealing with the Philippine bureaucracy seemed hopeless. I certainly wish Daniel well in his efforts in Indo. If all goes well some of those corals may eventually find there way to the US as well.

BTW It's Dizzy Redneck
 

PeterIMA

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Dizzy, Sorry for getting your name confused. I think you are right that it is Dr. Thomas Heeger, not James Heeger. I am not too good in remembering people's names.

Peter? Rubec
 

Kalkbreath

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PeterIMA":3uvd1nud said:
. In any event, that did not factor in the huge die-off of corals (and maybe live rock?) that occurred due to the El Nino event in late 1998. A recent survey by the Bishop Museum staff for the government of Fiji (earlier this year) reported to the government of Fiji that the wild harvest of live rock and corals was unsustainable (partly due to the fact that less heathy reef now exists).
All that dead coral from the 98 bleaching,means that there is now MORE live rock then EVER since all Fiji live rock is from dead corall! Funny how things work out! Also, new coral has reclaimed the reefs and is ready for harvest. Mothernature cant hurt a healthy reef for long............. Even The Maldives which suffered the most severe has more fish then ever and more diverse coral growth .because instead of a few dominant large coralheads , now there are many many smaller collonies....
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jamesw

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Kalk, that is not true.

When I was in Fiji in 2000 near Walt's farm, (this was 2 yrs after the El Nino bleaching) the coral had still not grown back and in fact a lot of it was also bleached.

James
 

dizzy

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James,

This would be a great place for one of the Fiji operators to jump in.
I remember speaking with Eric Cohen a year or two after the bleaching incident in Fiji. He said it had not hit the area they collected from and that it was recovering in places where it had bleached. I suspect it is improving, but probably not to the degree that Kalk would suggest.

It sure would be nice to get an update from Eric, Mary, or the guy in black BMW.
 

Mike King

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Actually Fiji suffered another bleaching event again last year. Even Tutuila Island American Samoa which has no barrier or reef like Fiji suffered bleaching events last year (because of the lack of shallows A.S. reefs are less prone to hi temps that can cause bleaching to occur). So far this year things are ok but the hottest months of the year are just ahead. I’ll be back in the Samoa's soon and will give you all an update when I get there in a few weeks.

Mike King
 

Bill2

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I was in fiji Oct of 2001 and visited collection sites off Suva and the reefs looked pretty good. There was no bleaching evident and the closer to the open ocean I got the bigger the corals got. There was only 1 large stand of live rock that looked like it fell victum to the bleaching event. It was a large staghorn stand that died.

I also visited fiji in Aug 99 and spent time on Taveuni and a section of the reef I snorkled on was completely dead.
 

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