pleuralplexus
New member
In 2012, as I sat and listened to the MACNA key note speech from Jean-Michel Custeau, I began to consider three things:
1. I was pretty sure that his idea of "balancing" the aquarium industry's harvesting of wild species and liverock cannot be fully achieved. Even if it becomes globally illegal (which it never will) then there would just be an emergent black market
2. Major aquarium institutions such as Monerey Aquarium and even smaller private entities like Moody Gardens in Galveston fail to recognize that stuffing their displays full of fake coral in an effort to "preserve the reef" may be missing a major opportunity
3. The environmental protection entities sometimes may have the best intentions at heart, but rather than fighting the aquarium industry, they could embrace us and we could change the world together.
Especially in light of a recent report released by NOAA listing newly threatened coral species ( see here http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2014/08/corals_listing.html ) I began to think of something that I think could really work!
There needs to be the establishment of a set of criteria by which an advanced, established, successful aquarist can become a certified 'reef propagation specialist'. This would include an official site visit to the reef hobbyist's personal facitities, demonstration of proven long-term successful reef propagation of a number of types of coral (and maybe fish) species, and demonstration of a reefer's proximity to a major international airport. Maybe it should also include references from other hobbyists or aquarium professionals, and maybe it should also be a nomination-only system.
Having such a certificate would be a proud badge of honor that many reef aquarists would covet. It could also open doors in other areas such as new business opportunities if the hobbyist would wish. But business opportunities wouldn't necessarily be the point.
Certified "reef propagation specialistis" would then be 'crowdsourced' for their abilities. Various specimens of threatened coral frags and/or fish could then be delivered to these hobbyists who could be compensated (maybe even by NOAA or the EPA) for the number of successful, healthy coral frags or juvenile fish that they safely deliver to a holding facility.
A holding facility could include major aquarium institutions like Monterey Aquarium. These facilities could further propagate the frags into large, robust colonies. The idea would be that in the future, these colonies could be re-introduced into areas which either have dying reefs, or new areas which could support new reefs as ocean levels rise and temperatures change.
If I was president, that's what I'd do: I would REWARD people's talents and encourage their hobbies in order to promote new innovation and industry in our country and maybe even save our reefs
What do you think?
Clark Wiginton
Abilene TX
1. I was pretty sure that his idea of "balancing" the aquarium industry's harvesting of wild species and liverock cannot be fully achieved. Even if it becomes globally illegal (which it never will) then there would just be an emergent black market
2. Major aquarium institutions such as Monerey Aquarium and even smaller private entities like Moody Gardens in Galveston fail to recognize that stuffing their displays full of fake coral in an effort to "preserve the reef" may be missing a major opportunity
3. The environmental protection entities sometimes may have the best intentions at heart, but rather than fighting the aquarium industry, they could embrace us and we could change the world together.
Especially in light of a recent report released by NOAA listing newly threatened coral species ( see here http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2014/08/corals_listing.html ) I began to think of something that I think could really work!
There needs to be the establishment of a set of criteria by which an advanced, established, successful aquarist can become a certified 'reef propagation specialist'. This would include an official site visit to the reef hobbyist's personal facitities, demonstration of proven long-term successful reef propagation of a number of types of coral (and maybe fish) species, and demonstration of a reefer's proximity to a major international airport. Maybe it should also include references from other hobbyists or aquarium professionals, and maybe it should also be a nomination-only system.
Having such a certificate would be a proud badge of honor that many reef aquarists would covet. It could also open doors in other areas such as new business opportunities if the hobbyist would wish. But business opportunities wouldn't necessarily be the point.
Certified "reef propagation specialistis" would then be 'crowdsourced' for their abilities. Various specimens of threatened coral frags and/or fish could then be delivered to these hobbyists who could be compensated (maybe even by NOAA or the EPA) for the number of successful, healthy coral frags or juvenile fish that they safely deliver to a holding facility.
A holding facility could include major aquarium institutions like Monterey Aquarium. These facilities could further propagate the frags into large, robust colonies. The idea would be that in the future, these colonies could be re-introduced into areas which either have dying reefs, or new areas which could support new reefs as ocean levels rise and temperatures change.
If I was president, that's what I'd do: I would REWARD people's talents and encourage their hobbies in order to promote new innovation and industry in our country and maybe even save our reefs
What do you think?
Clark Wiginton
Abilene TX
