where do you stand on saving our reefs??? serious questions for you to ponder on:)

[turkleton]

1) What do you think about our hobby and its impact on the natural reefs?
I love this hobby. For me is a continual source of fascination and excitement and there is always something new to learn. I believe that at the moment the overall impact on natural reefs is negative, but still nothing when compared to many other factors including improperly controlled fisheries and commercial fishing practices, global warming and even just the pollution caused by every individual in any developed nation.

2) Do you buy wild caught if yes does it bother you?
Yes, since the variety of captive bred fish is still very small I don’t have much choice. No it does not bother me.

3) What do you think we as hobbyists can do to protect or help our reefs?
Raise awareness where possible; continue to educate ourselves about the livestock we keep and their status in the wild.

4) Do you see the hobby coming to an end?
Hopefully not. If anything we may get to the point where we are forced to rely solely on captive bred livestock, but I doubt it will end completely.

5) Do you support captive breeding?
Of course, it increases our knowledge of the animals we keep and reduces our impact on natural reefs.

6) What do you think the impact would be to the economy if collecting/harvesting were to stop?
The biggest impact would be seen at the collection/harvesting end the industry, where local economies benefit from the money brought in by sale of livestock. On the retail end, local businesses would suffer but ultimately the impact on the economy would be very minimal.

7) Do you think black-market or underground coral smuggling exist in our country?
Probably but I have never heard of it.

8) Do you think collecting and harvesting practices could be better?
Yes. Bans on cyanide and chemical fishing would be an improvement as would better regulation of how many of which species can be removed while maintaining sustainability.

9) Would you not buy something because it came from the wild?
I have no problems buying wild caught specimens as long as they appear to be in good health and I have done some research on their captive requirements.

10) Do you think the impact has bettered in the last ten years or gotten worse?
Still not fantastic, but much better.

11) Do you believe there should be animal laws regarding fish and tank sizes?
Absolutely not. It would be pretty much pointless since the logistics of enforcing such legislations are mind boggling. It would just end up wasting far too much time and money with no positive end result.

12) Do you feel guilty for caging these little creatures?
Only in situations where very large fish are kept in aquariums that are so small as noticeably hinder movement. If the livestock are in good health, are appropriately sized for the aquarium and the tank seems to be properly maintained then no, I do not feel guilty at all.

13) What are your thoughts on species that don’t do well and lfs bringing them in regularly?
If a species is known to do very poorly in captivity I don’t believe that they should be regularly stocked by a LFS. However if a person has done the research, can provide a suitable environment for the animal and the animal is not threatened in the wild then they should be available for special order.

14) Would you buy something smuggled or not supposed to be in our country?
This really depends on the animal in question, my own feelings and views regarding the animal and the reason(s) that it has been banned in my country. Under the perfect circumstances, heck yes.

[dsaundry]

Interesting topic, I won't answer each question but respond this way. I would like to believe that most people are in general responsible for their tanks etc. But are you comparing it on a Canadian/North American base or worldwide? After seeing some of the pictures in the asian markets, you know the majority seem to be in it for just the money, while I am sure this isn't the case for everybody, when you see pictures of Fish Street I am willing to bet the fish are not taken care of like you or I might do in our tanks. Does anybody know what the mortality rate is on fish? Wild caught or captive bred? I am sure if you asked a supplier and got an honest answer you all might be either pleasantly surprised or shocked at the answer to that question. There is always going to be the person{s} that don't care what the cost or the impact to the species, and will do and spend anything to get it. Just look at the number of sharks being killed and dumped back into the ocean minus their fins, or the casualties of driftnets..where do you draw the line? The scientists are already predicting a virtually lifeless ocean in the "NEAR" future. So what do you do? Stop the hobby? Will that fix the ocean? How about a worldwide ban on fishing and capturing fish from the ocean for ..say..50yrs and see how stocks replenish themselves.. How would that be enforced?? As long as there is a person{s} that is willing to bend the rules or break them there will always be horror stories when it comes to life on this planet. Maybe the question should be..Are you willing to give up this hobby if you knew it would save the reefs and oceans of the world? Would you give up eating seafood?? Tough freaking questions...

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by dsaundry

Are you willing to give up this hobby if you knew it would save the reefs and oceans of the world?

consider it added