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Coral Vue Hydros

Environmental impact of the hobby?


ReeferReefer

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ReeferReefer

We all love the ocean but what is the cost for bringing it into our home? Is there any way to find out the different types of fish that are using cyanide poisoning? Angelfish not only have high mortality rates in some species but it can also bleach coral reefs. What fish can we keep in our tanks they will not harm the ocean that we so love? What are some good sourcesWha captive bred livestock? Is pink raise livestock less environmentally harmful?

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Using aquacultured liverock, dry rock, and liverock from within the USA is environmentally friendly as far as liverock goes. I usually try to buy aquacultured corals and coral from fellow hobbyists to reduce the impact of coral collection as well. For fish, captive bred are obviously most friendly, but the collection of most fish species will have little to no impact on the overall population if a reef. The use of cyanide and in some cases explosives is however damaging.

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The negative impact, due to reef keeping, is almost negligible when compared to other risks that natural reefs face. However, that doesn't mean there aren't ways in which we can lessen the impact even more. As mentioned, keeping aquacultured coral and captive bred fish are sustainable ways to enjoy our hobby. Unfortunately, there is a movement to use the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to make keeping more and more fish and coral illegal (even if they are easily cultured in captive systems).

I'd love to see a push for legislative changes including all of the following:

  • exclusions for captive raised fish and coral from ESA protections (which were designed to protect wild species and wild habitats)
  • requirements for live coral import permits (for the the purpose of reef restoration, education, public displays, or aquaculture broodstock) for all live coral coming into the U.S.
  • requirements for live coral collection permits for any coral taken from U.S. territorial seas

This would further minimize the impact to our natural reefs, while making it possible to continue to enjoy our hobby (without restriction and risk that the species, which we currently keep, will someday become illegal to own, transport, trade, or sell).

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ReeferReefer

Is there anyway to know of which fish are caught by poisoning? I will not buy any fish that has been caught in such a destructive manner.

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Alexraptor

I'd argue that "sustainable" wild caught and animals are in todays world better for the environment and preservation of the reefs rather than captive bred.

Mainly because it provides many local populations around reefs with a viable source of income. And its that which ignorant and irresponsible lobbyists want to try and ban.

 

If they were to get their way I am absolutely certain the worlds coral reefs would be worse off for it.

Not only that but it would also be a rather futile gesture, as a lot of people are unaware that Cyanide fishing is also used for "food fish" as well.

The best thing is to stay away from animals caught in regions that are known for extensive Cyanide use.

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+1 alexraptor

 

Maybe since it is futile to try and stop the poisoning, maybe we should strive to breed our beloved pets more often, it definitely helps with sustainability.

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ReeferReefer

I'd argue that "sustainable" wild caught and animals are in todays world better for the environment and preservation of the reefs rather than captive bred.

Mainly because it provides many local populations around reefs with a viable source of income. And its that which ignorant and irresponsible lobbyists want to try and ban.

 

If they were to get their way I am absolutely certain the worlds coral reefs would be worse off for it.

Not only that but it would also be a rather futile gesture, as a lot of people are unaware that Cyanide fishing is also used for "food fish" as well.

The best thing is to stay away from animals caught in regions that are known for extensive Cyanide use.

 

Are you familiar with which regions use this practice? It seems like I will need to do some more research. Im trying to come up with a stocking list for my up coming build that will have the lowest environmental impact as possible.

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Alexraptor

Last I heard its still a big problem in the Philippines and Indonesia, but I'm not entirely up to date on that, as my tanks tend to primarily focus on Corals and Invertebrates, with very few fish. :)

 

Basicly its a good idea to research the LFS or whever you buy them from, their reputation and even ask them if they take any extra measures to guarantee the quality of the fish.

In addition, Cyanide permanently harms the fish and often they aren't doing too well, and while its not a guarantee you can make sure to only buy fish from a system that is healthy. The fish should be active and alert(unless of course its a nocturnal species!) and with a healthy appetite. In addition ONLY buy fish if they all seem healthy, if there are dead or dying fish in the tank, stay away, as not only could this be signs of cyanide, but also potentially parasites and disease.

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I'm not sure that not buying fish from a particular country is the solution, as this would harm legitimate harvesters practicing more responsible collection practices. Cyanide fishing is already illegal in most countries; although that hasn't completely eliminated the practice.

 

Here's an article on cyanide fishing: http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-magazines/freshwater-and-marine-aquarium/august-2008/cyanide-aquarium-fish.aspx

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ReeferReefer

I'm not sure that not buying fish from a particular country is the solution, as this would harm legitimate harvesters practicing more responsible collection practices. Cyanide fishing is already illegal in most countries; although that hasn't completely eliminated the practice.

 

Here's an article on cyanide fishing: http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-magazines/freshwater-and-marine-aquarium/august-2008/cyanide-aquarium-fish.aspx

 

Thank you for the link and advice. I decided I will be stocking my new tank with as much captive breed and tank raised live stock as possible in order to reduce environmental impact while still getting a few animals wild caught.

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Partially Submerged

A good LFS should be able to give you an idea where their livestock comes from. A fairly safe way to avoid unsustainable inverts and fish is to stick to varieties that can be grown/bred in captivity or in aquaculture. I'm not sure I'm buying the "sustainable wild catch" argument. Yes, it does create a modest source of income, but in many countries, there is no way to enforce what and how much is caught. The money people in these countries make from supplying livestock to the aquarium is nothing compared to the money a healthy environment can generate in sustainable tourism.

 

I think controlling imports as the US and many other countries do is something that has to be attempted, but ultimately only the exporting countries can put effective regulations in place. Thankfully, developing nations are becoming increasingly aware of what an immense treasure and potential source of revenue an intact ecosystem is.

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Unfortunately, the U.S. (as an import country) continues to go down the road of trying to make ownership of more and more coral and fish illegal (protected). I'm all for protecting actual threatened species in the wild, but this will eventually include species that we currently own, aquacultured species that are easily bred or cultured in captivity, as well as unthreatened species that look like protected species. Alternatives are not being discussed, and the only current action being taken to deter this trend is to oppose the ESA listings (which only slows the process down).

The following is a summary of the various listings and proposed listings:

  • The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was passed.
  • In 2004, the CBD proposed listing three Caribbean coral species. In 2005, NOAA determined that listings might be warranted for Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) corals. In 2006, NOAA listed Elkhorn and Staghorn corals as threatened. In 2008, NMFS designated critical habitats for Elkhorn and Staghorn corals.
  • In 2009, the CBD proposed listing 83 species of coral. In 2012, NOAA determined that listings might be warranted for 82 of these species. In addition, they determined that it might be warranted to reclassify the Elkhorn and Staghorn corals as endangered. In 2014, 20 of these 82 species of coral were listed as threatened. Currently, the NMFS is considering protective regulations under Section 4(d) of the ESA for the conservation of these 20 coral species (which can give threatened species the same protections as endangered species).
  • In 2012, NOAA received a petition from the CBD to list 8 reef fish. In 2014, NOAA determined that listings might be warranted for the Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion percula). The Caribbean Yellowtail Damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus) will be addressed via a separate finding by the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office.
  • In 2013, NOAA received a petition to list 81 marine species (including 23 species of coral and 15 bony fish). In 2014, NOAA determined that listings might be warranted for 3 species of coral and 5 bony fish. This includes the Banggai Cardinalfish (Pteropogon kauderni), which is commonly tank bred.

While we, as reef keepers, have yet to experience much impact from these proposed listings, you can see a developing trend.

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The Govt is not going to care about restricting our access to anything we put in an aquarium. They could care two whits if it was tank bred or not. The Govt is dumb, and will not stand to reason. You can try, but in the end it is like arguing with fools and always ends in frustration.

 

We don't have, and never will have, a big enough lobby. Besides, we don't really need to be keeping fish in tanks anyway.

 

As seabass said, the best we can hope for is to slow things down.

 

I for one am looking forward to all the black market coral/fish sales. Ever since pot has become legal, I've been wanting to get back into something a bit semi-nefarious. <_<

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