[Dearth]

Bit of a rant then my answer which is tied into my rant

I have serious issues with those aligned with so called environmental groups, green groups and activist groups the vast majority of these groups go to the extreme to prove their points yet will rarely if ever show the other side of the issue and they have boatloads of people joining their causes without being properly informed and will often end up with egg on their faces once the reality of the situation comes out.

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Now that being said my answer is that we as aquarists do have an impact on populations of fish and coral and rare species that much is true however in many areas where such things are collected are now somewhat to heavily regulated by those nations where these are collected. What is more damaging though are the locals, tourism and commercial trade those 3 alone do more damage than the aquarium trade. Just because the locals live there doesn't mean they are friendly to the environment and they can be quite destructive especially in the Asian countries where polluting is commonplace and laws are tough to enforce. Tourists love the colour and beauty of the ocean but few actually have an understanding of the fragility of a coral reef or how easily some species of fish get stressed out and will by ignorance or carelessness damage huge areas of coral communities. Commercial trade this is the extension of industrial needs into the ocean, building new resorts to fuel tourism, homes and of course fishing. All 3 of those are way more damaging than collecting for the home or commercial aquarists.