"hobbyists" are culturing "FEW" coral Species?

[reeferbarra20]

It seems that the base of "serious" reef-keepers have finally been able to successfully breed multiple color-morphs of A.Ocellaris & A. Percula. I just the finished reading the latest Tropical Fish Magazine, or Aquarium Fish International, ( don't really remember which one now..ha!). There was an article that discussed the impact that the marine aquarium hobby made on the world's existing coral reefs. The author went on to discuss what "solutions" the current US lawmakers were suggesting to reduce the hobby's "impact" on these declining reef systems. They proposed either a full ban or reduction on what they call "corner-stone" species. These include many SPS spp, as well as several species of sea anemones who have a poor captivity survivability rate.

 

Their main point seems to be that it is "our' ie; hobbyists, lack of being able to aquaculture more marine species that is causing the world's reefs to decline. While this may be true regarding many species of marine fish, I don't believe that this is the case with coral species. Over the past 5-10 years, there has been a huge growth in the marine aquaculture industry. Sure, there are those out there only focusing on making a quick dollar. While there are also people , facilities, etc, that truly care about the wild coral reefs and do as much as they can to reduce our impact on them. I am seriously considering writing a response to this magazine , expressing that the hobbyists are in fact growing MANY different species of aqua-cultured coral, and to assume that we are doing "little" to reduce our impact is preposterous.

 

While our hobby does in fact impact the reefs of the world, have lawmakers considered what their dealings with the Polluters are doing to the "fragile reef ecosystem" ?? NO. Politicians, in most people's opinion aren't very bright. They seem to point blame at any other source when there is a problem, and always seem to come up with a "quick" solution. The REAL threat to coral reefs is POLLUTION. Call it global warming, fertilizer run-off, OIL SPILLS, etc. I believe that while the hobby is responsible for the importation of either species that do poorly, or species that have yet to be bred in captivity, our purpose as a whole is giving coral reefs a chance to survive. Sure, we cannot control pollution in the ocean. However, we can definitely protect what species that do well in captivity from the man-imposed threats that the wild reefs face each and every single day. With our hobby we can preserve many species of corals, invertebrates and marine fish, through education and aqua-culture.

 

Just my 2 cents.

Reeferbarra.

[patback]

Write it up, send it in. Perfect

 

They should allow tax write offs whenever we purchase an aquacultured coral. They'll realize how quickly we are propogating.

[reeferbarra20]

Write it up, send it in. Perfect

 

They should allow tax write offs whenever we purchase an aquacultured coral. They'll realize how quickly we are propogating.

 

 

Thanks for the support +1 . Yea, that would definitely make their eyes pop. I was surprised to such an idiotic

statement in Tropical Fish Magazine. Time for a letter to the Editor..

[franklypre]

I laugh at the proposed bans every time I see yet another shipwreck full of oil. If you want to save the ocean the last of your worries are the people in this hobby. It's all a matter of the idea that something is being done. Definately should send your letter to anybody of importance.

[william_payne1]

It seems that the base of "serious" reef-keepers have finally been able to successfully breed multiple color-morphs of A.Ocellaris & A. Percula. I just the finished reading the latest Tropical Fish Magazine, or Aquarium Fish International, ( don't really remember which one now..ha!). There was an article that discussed the impact that the marine aquarium hobby made on the world's existing coral reefs. The author went on to discuss what "solutions" the current US lawmakers were suggesting to reduce the hobby's "impact" on these declining reef systems. They proposed either a full ban or reduction on what they call "corner-stone" species. These include many SPS spp, as well as several species of sea anemones who have a poor captivity survivability rate.

 

Their main point seems to be that it is "our' ie; hobbyists, lack of being able to aquaculture more marine species that is causing the world's reefs to decline. While this may be true regarding many species of marine fish, I don't believe that this is the case with coral species. Over the past 5-10 years, there has been a huge growth in the marine aquaculture industry. Sure, there are those out there only focusing on making a quick dollar. While there are also people , facilities, etc, that truly care about the wild coral reefs and do as much as they can to reduce our impact on them. I am seriously considering writing a response to this magazine , expressing that the hobbyists are in fact growing MANY different species of aqua-cultured coral, and to assume that we are doing "little" to reduce our impact is preposterous.

 

While our hobby does in fact impact the reefs of the world, have lawmakers considered what their dealings with the Polluters are doing to the "fragile reef ecosystem" ?? NO. Politicians, in most people's opinion aren't very bright. They seem to point blame at any other source when there is a problem, and always seem to come up with a "quick" solution. The REAL threat to coral reefs is POLLUTION. Call it global warming, fertilizer run-off, OIL SPILLS, etc. I believe that while the hobby is responsible for the importation of either species that do poorly, or species that have yet to be bred in captivity, our purpose as a whole is giving coral reefs a chance to survive. Sure, we cannot control pollution in the ocean. However, we can definitely protect what species that do well in captivity from the man-imposed threats that the wild reefs face each and every single day. With our hobby we can preserve many species of corals, invertebrates and marine fish, through education and aqua-culture.

 

Just my 2 cents.

Reeferbarra.

 

Agreed, I can't believe the editor didn't do any research on this, if anyone should be controled its the oil companies and our government. to top it off, ask any reef hobbyist what the do when they run out of room for corals to grow, they will all say pretty much the same thing, they cut back and frag thier corals and pass em on for other reefers to buy, trade or even get for free. but if you ask a large city aquarium what they do with them, in hopes to hear that they go back out to the reef they took thier corals from and re-plant. They tell you "oh we just let em break off, then we vac em up and throw them away" (exact quote from an employee at the san francisco bay aquarium) Again its not the hobby that causes the problems, its the big money makers.

[Psychosis]

Eventually everything we own is going to be red listed as illegal, and we'll all have powerful lighting and hydroponic experience with nothing to grow...what ever shall we do then?

 

I can agree that certain species with an atrocious survival rate in captivity should be left alone, but that makes up such a small fraction of whats imported that we'd all hardly notice. Most, if not all hobbyists will eventually frag all most everything in a tank, and we aren't contributing to a sustainable approach? Really? I doubt I own a single wild caught specimen (out side of my Fungia,) and I didn't go out of my way to buy aqua cultured stock.

[Builder Anthony]

ya maybe you should send them the video of the oil leakingin the gulf for what was it 100 days?I think that may have a impact on the reefs.who knows what mess is laying at the bottom of the ocean because of that.

[bizzarro]

Did some gov't study say the Gulf recovered?

 

After all, they allow sale of sea food caught from the area, so it must be safe!

[reeferbarra20]

The government imposed a media Blackout just a few days before the Oil bloom reach the Dry Tortuga's..

I'm writing that letter this week. Who knows? It might end up in the magazine. Ha

[steviejitsu]

Lobbyists will prevent any recovery from ever happening. If it happens, it'll happen because of mother nature's resilence. Coral Reefs don't have lobbyists, Big Oil has more than any other industry.

[seraph858]

I'm really surprised at what a bad perception some outsiders have of this hobby. I think the hobby as a whole needs to explain to others what exactly aquaculture is, not to mention all the fragging that we do individually. We should start a frag thread with a counter one for SPS, LPS, and Softies just to see how much coral our tanks generate I'm at a point now where I produce much more than I take. In addition if there were governement invovlement I think we could sustain the hobby the hobby through aquaculture though the price of corals would probably go up. If anything we're being scapegoated because most specimens die while in holding tanks or pet shops that shouldn't be selling them in the first place, it really makes me mad when I walk into a lfs for the first time and see more dying or dead frags than what I have living and thriving in my tanks. Anyway my two-cents.

[Riotjock]

Anyone thinking this, has never seen a container ship full of corals, harvested rock, and fish dock at the Los Angles port and offload the contents. The VAST majority of fish and corals sold in the US have been harvested out of the ocean from living reefs. Even most of the sponsors of this site are selling harvested corals, not aquacultured. Before you get bent out of shape, perhaps you should look at the reality of the situation.

[Euphyllia]

Anyone thinking this, has never seen a container ship full of corals, harvested rock, and fish dock at the Los Angles port and offload the contents. The VAST majority of fish and corals sold in the US have been harvested out of the ocean from living reefs. Even most of the sponsors of this site are selling harvested corals, not aquacultured. Before you get bent out of shape, perhaps you should look at the reality of the situation.

 

+1

[GregBox]

+1

Agreed. I think that the real issue here, as pointed out in the article is that the ability to regulate and track actual quantities harvested.

 

The original poster however has a valid point "hobbyists" are aqua culturing a large number of corals, however, this is about importers and retailers purchases, which are consumed by hobbyists.

 

I support the ban, we have plenty of coral in our collective poll to start fragging and selling.

 

The Good LFS will be able to react and propagate their own specimens, as it will greatly increase their margins but cutting the supplier.

 

The Ocean is more important then our captive reefs, and we should all really strive to create our own nano-reef community of aquacultured corals and ROAK to save the reefs.

 

-Greg.

[Narwhal72]

You may want to do a little more research on what corals "species" are being maricultured before you write your letter. While there are many different color morphs of SPS corals being maricultured these are often just variants of the same species. Very few actual described species are being aquacultured compared to the species available in the hobby and even fewer when compared to the number found on coral reefs. Many of the less colorful coral species which actually make up the bulk of the coral reef structure are not aquacultured because there is little commercial incentive to do so.

 

Also live rock is the only item to be shipped by container by sea. Since it takes 21-30 days for a container ship to make it from the western Pacific to LA all the fish and corals would be dead.

 

Fish and corals are shipped air cargo into LAX which is why most of the marine wholesalers are clustered around LAX.

Andy

[MeepNand]

My LFS aquacultures most/all of their corals. Half their system is grow-out tanks for corals, then they frag and sell them.

I think hobbyists have an impact on reefs, but that impact gets smaller every year, while Big Oil and oth industries grow.