Anybody Considering SWC Products Read This

[Aquatic_kirch]

Now I'm not sure if SWC is a sponsor here but this article should be read by anyone considering purchasing products from SWC.
The article was in our local papers and it sure has started an uproar by reefers on our local forum.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...eg-man-convicted-of-smuggling--135339543.html

The man seems to have no respect for nature, the law or the worlds reefs. I for one would love for this hobby to be sustainable one day without damaging the worlds oceans. We as hobbyist and consumers have the power to change the hobby in both positive or negative ways just by the products we purchase.
before you purchase anything from SWC, livestock or drygoods, think of what you would be supporting by what you already know of this company.

You can decide for yourself what's right when purchasing your new skimmer or live rock for building a fence
I know This is only one company of many that has participated in this sort of illegal activity but we as hobbyist must keep moving forward and working on building a sustainable hobby.

-Shaun

 

[aleonn]

Wow, not cool of the owner of SWC to smuggle. If I had known, I would not have purchased from SWC two Black Fridays ago. Thanks for the article, I hope other reefers read this so we can all become more responsible consumers.

 

[scarface70706]

ouch that sucks. now im really glad i didnt go with swc.

 

[Russter]

That is too bad because I am a fan of their products. Not sure how much longer they will be around faced with large fines/jail.

 

[redneckgearhead]

I say I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty (at least in the states) The one thing that stuck out to me is the fact that what he was doing wasn't necessarily illegal, just that he didn't get the permits for it.

 

[Aquatic_kirch]

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/12/09/man-could-face-50k-fine-for-importing-coral-clams

''Environment Canada launched an investigation after customs officials intercepted a shipment of scleractinian rock coral in Vancouver in July 2007.''

''Investigators searched his home and business and found records indicating he had also placed orders for protected sea horses and giant clams''

''Wyant said Daeninck doctored import documents and other business records to hide what he was doing.'

They do say that the sea horses or clams were never recovered so there is no evidence he ever got them.
I still think the idea that he was trying to obtain protected creatures and that he doctored documents shows the type of person he is...

 

[jerpa]

I say I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty (at least in the states) The one thing that stuck out to me is the fact that what he was doing wasn't necessarily illegal, just that he didn't get the permits for it.

He was already found guilty as stated in the article. They also found that he forged paperwork to fool customs. He knowingly smuggled the shipments in. I don't think he gets the benefit of the doubt anymore.

 

[greech]

Dang, I have a skimmer of theirs . Thanks for posting this. Good to know.

 

[ackee]

Big Deal. This is nothing compared to the damage done by construction, expansion of human settlement and agriculture, industrial and human waste, commercial fishing, and countless other destructive activities that are tolerated and even encouraged. Every year Traditional Chinese Medicine depletes seahorse populations a thousand times more than all aquarium collecting over the past half century.

In any case, we consumers bear the ultimate responsibility. Drug cartels and smuggling would not exist without the huge demand from American drug users. The same principle applies here, albeit on a much smaller scale. I don't support the circumvention of wildlife protection laws, but putting them in perspective demonstrates how minor a factor they are in the grand scheme of things.

Aquarium activities are a favorite target for politicians and the scientific establishment because attacking these activities provides favorable publicity while avoiding the dangers of speaking out against more significant and powerful interests. SWC markets excellent products. I have no intention of boycotting their products. In fact, as a collector of my own specimens who has been subjected to intimidating official scrutiny over a couple of fish in a plastic bag I am more inclined to buy their products.

 

[lordofthereef]

his is nothing compared to the damage done by construction, expansion of human settlement and agriculture, industrial and human waste, commercial fishing, and countless other destructive activities that are tolerated and even encouraged.

I don't disagree. That doesn't mean the sort of activity being spoken of in this thread isn't a problem. I don't personally contribute a dime to the use of seahorses in Chinese medicine, either. I MAY have purchased some of these products from SWC.

 

[Aquatic_kirch]

Ackee,
perhaps you're right that this is insignificant when compared to your listed examples. however this is an issue directly related to our hobby and it is one that we as hobbyists can play a part of and be difference makers. This is why I posted in responsible reefkeeping.
You say we as consumers bear the ultimate responsibility, I agree, we are responsible for what gets brought into our countries in terms of quantity.
By being responsible we can also educate other hobbyist that may not be aware that some creatures or rocks they purchase are brought in illegally. If suppliers are not playing by the rules and we as hobbyists figure out they should pay the price. We have the power to stop the illegal importation of species related to this hobby. The internet and reef central are pretty powerful tools in doing so.

 

[hhaase]

Kirch;

Thank you for passing this on. It's an uphill battle to try and move this industry, and really any industry, to find a more responsible footing. And as time goes on, the pressure is only going to increase to do so. But some people will always look for excuses to do what they want, or ways around the system to make a buck.

-Hans

 

[sucker_fish]

This is quite irresponsible. It may be insignificant compared to damages done to reefs by big industry but it also gives ammunition to those who choose to attack the practice of collecting anything from the reefs to support our hobby. I personally think that everyone involved in this hobby ranging from the person taking fish and corals from the reef all the way to the person putting the same fish or corals in an aquarium need to be as responsible as possible and not give anyone any more reasons to attack this hobby than they already have.

 

[redneckgearhead]

He was already found guilty as stated in the article. They also found that he forged paperwork to fool customs. He knowingly smuggled the shipments in. I don't think he gets the benefit of the doubt anymore.

Somehow I missed that on the first read.

Am I reading it right that he would have been allowed to import all this by just obtaining a permit? Im curious as to what a person has to do to get a permit for this in Canada? I know that most permits in the states are just a tax. You pay the "fee" and you get a permit.

 

[Wolverine]

It may be insignificant compared to damages done to reefs by big industry but it also gives ammunition to those who choose to attack the practice of collecting anything from the reefs to support our hobby. I personally think that everyone involved in this hobby ranging from the person taking fish and corals from the reef all the way to the person putting the same fish or corals in an aquarium need to be as responsible as possible and not give anyone any more reasons to attack this hobby than they already have.

Absolutely. There are plenty of people out there who would love to see this hobby disappear completely; things like this give them a good excuse to push for that.

 

[duke62]

this article is disturbing.even if he did think it was something else the buyer is always reponsible for what they buy.

 

[sandwi54]

This is really too bad. I have a SWC skimmer and I'm a big fan of their products. However, this type of behavior is not acceptable.

 

[returnofsid]

but all he wanted to do was build a fence...

 

[kurtyboh]

this article is disturbing.even if he did think it was something else the buyer is always reponsible for what they buy.

He has made quite a name for himself in the aquatics trade and we're to believe he didnt know he was getting lr?

 

[ganjero]

"Daeninck fought his case at trial, claiming he had actually ordered another type of rock which didn’t contain coral for the purpose of building a fence in Winnipeg, like one he’d seen on a visit to Indonesia. Daeninck claimed there must have been a mistake in the order and that he wasn’t responsible"
Yeah right! A person that is clearly involved in the aquatics business was buying this amount of rock to build a fence?! Very sad.