"We should focus our efforts on learning how to propagate livestock in captivity and stop removing animals from the wild."

 

Updated 11-23-03 - I read an article on reef central a few weeks ago stating that CITES had but an export ban on Fiji.  I was a little upset when I realized the ban was temporary.  I'm starting to think all wild caught livestock should be banned.  We're doing to much irreversible damage to our environment.  We should focus our efforts on learning how to propagate livestock in captivity and stop removing animals from the wild.  I'm aware of the hypocrisy of this statement, but I don't see any other way this can work.

When the Nemo movie came out, one of my buddies who owns a local fish store told me about a person who called trying to buy a Nemo fish.  To make a  long story short, the caller wanted to know how much the Nemo fish cost and how to keep it alive long enough for her grand-daughter's birthday party.  Too many people look at the animals we love as temporary sources of entertainment that are disposable after they lose their appeal.  Its upsetting to me that I contribute to this culture...

 "Throughout the history of marine aquarium keeping, some people have questioned whether confining wild marine life in a captive environment is morally wrong, and if the methods of capture and handling are cruel and careless.  Even  now, as we aquarists are able to duplicate a reef environment in a closed system, affording the fantastic opportunity to study a whole ecosystem in captivity, we are especially aware that the stuff of our hobby still is taken from the wild.  We must question whether we are doing any harm to the natural environment in supplying the large demand by aquarists around the world."  Julian Sprung, The Reef Aquarium - A comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates Vol. 1, 1994. 

For the most part, I agree with Sprung's statement.  I'm aware that some collectors are taking animals in unsustainable ways.  I have no doubt that within the next five or ten years  the sale of unsustainable specimens such as live rock from many regions will be be banned.  However, I do not believe that all specimens taken from questionable regions such as Tonga, Haiti or the Philippines are taken illegally and in unsustainable ways.  Nor do I believe that all specimens taken from well regulated areas such as Florida are gathered legally.  The resulting dilemmas are obvious.  How does one know if the live rock they bought was taken properly or if it was poached?  How can you tell if a fish was net caught or if it was caught with cyanide?  How does one tell if a supplier handled and shipped the specimens properly or if they jammed ten animals into a box figuring two would live?  Who am I to say that I wouldn't poach if my family was starving and I had no other source of income?  These are complicated questions, but questions which need to be answered to avoid depleting our limited natural resources. 

I personally try to address these problems in a variety of ways.  Recently, I've started asking stores about how and where their suppliers collect their specimens.  If they avoid the question or they don't know the answer, then I avoid the store.  Another way I conserve is through buying or trading rock with people who are downsizing their tanks or getting out of the hobby.  Of the 100 lbs of rock I currently own, I would guess that less than 20 lbs of it was purchased from stores and the remaining rock was either free or less than $1.00/lb.  You have to look a lot harder for these deals, but they're available.  In addition, where possible, I try to buy tank raised animals.  Many captive bred species of fish, invertebrates, and even corals can currently be purchased both locally and online  Often these animals are cheaper, do better in captivity than wild caught animals, and they greatly reduce the demand for wild animals.  People aren't going to waste time catching animals that won't sell.  Lastly, there are many local reef clubs which have frequent meetings to trade their tank raised specimens, and occasionally stores will take one of your specimens in trade for something else.  Go to reefcentral.com or ask at your local fish store if they'll make a trade. 

One last opinion:  Where possible, I feel strongly that its important to find and support an ethical local fish store and to avoid the ones that are selling sick animals and spreading misinformation.  If a store is pushing you to buy something you know little about, don't do business with them.  If a sales person seems to have all the answers and never says, "I don't know.", they probably don't know as much as it seems.  Find a local store that knows their suppliers well and can tell you how each animal was collected and where.  If you ask a salesperson a question and they look for an answer in a book, its probably a good store.  If the store personally knows their suppliers and has an established relationship with them, its probably a good store.  If a store will let you ask endless questions without having to buy something,  its probably a good store.  If a store refuses to sell an animal without a water sample, its probably a good store.  I'm sure you get the idea.  Happy reef keeping!