collecting question

[jreimer]

Hey reefers,

Just wondering...

When people/wholesalers collect zoanthids do they need any kind of permit? I am aware this would obviously vary state to state (in the States), and maybe even country to country, but any info you have would be greatly appreciated.

Post in a previous thread about some wholesaler hypothetically gathering up all the zoanthids from a reef flat gave me nightmares.

j

 

[giantbicycle]

Yes ,they do.

 

[surfnvb7]

i beleive that i read something on the mushroom forum about permits to collect in the carribean (off florida keys/bermuda). they are very expensive, and they passed laws so that no new permits could be issued, and if you wanted a permit, you had to buy an existing permit already out there (thus limited availability and very expensive).

in hawaii, i'm not sure what the laws are, but i think any recreational diver can take rocks smaller than a fist, and only soft corals. and theres probably a gross limit to that.

i think in the pacific, every island/country has their own laws about collecting. but they are aware of conservation and limit the areas and amount of coral collected.

i'd check out the diving forum to ask about specifics. there was a really cool article that the US rep of deltec did when he went out to the pacific at the invite of a wholesale company who sends divers out to collect corals. very nicely documented trip about collecting the corals off the reef bed, the holding facility and everything else. it was a very nice read. wish i knew where to find it.

 

[Azurel]

Usually the wholesaler don't collect the corals themselves, they have collectors in overseas land that will dive and collect barrage of corals and ship them back in mass quantity. These collectors and their management entities have to have a CITIES permits to ship and sell international. The CITIES permits if I remember correctly dictate what, where and when a collector can collect specific corals from the reef. There are also banned corals that they can't collect and ship which is also dictated by the CITIES permit I believe.....I tried to find specific information for you but could only find generalities.

 

[jreimer]

Hey posters - thanks for the info - glad to here there is some regualtion out there - I'll get on the net too and see what I can dig up!

cheers,

j.