Open for Comment: Proposed Coral Import Ban

[wetWolger]

Maybe people think this just wont be enforced?

I think companies like liveaquaria and pet stores will likely be forced to stop selling them, but I imagine it will continue in things like frag swaps. Enforcement of those will be almost impossible.

Maybe people want it to drive up prices of their frags?

Personally I don't like bogus laws, weather they can be enforced or not.

 

[ATLL765]

Enforcement beyond monitoring the major vendors is impossible. A reefer to reefer trade is never going to get someone in trouble.

The issue of how to differentiate between cultured vs wild specimens is a big problem. How do you enforce the law when you can't tell which is which?

The only thing I can think of is requiring a license of sorts and the gov't sending someone to monitor what items are being cultured and fragged for sale. That way they can make a list of the colonies that a vendor has and keep an eye on what they list for sale.

Maybe those vendors could then ship a certificate with any protected items so that the owner could then frag and trade it to others. You'd then have to create a way to show you fragged them and have more certificates sent out. It's a very difficult thing to enforce all the way down to the individual without making it overly complicated to acquire the pieces.

 

[Raul-7]

They might be banned, but that doesn't stop it's sales between hobbyists. They have banned a lot of aquatic plants in certain states, but you can still get them.

 

[inktomi]

I'd still prefer to not have to black market trade frags. Being illegal at a federal level is different than California not allowing caulpra.

 

[Puffyluv]

Don't think it makes any of these illegal to grow and sell in the same state? So it wouldn't really effect most growers?

 

[dmh41532]

Yes, it will be illegal to grow and frag them. My understanding is that it will be illegal to own them. That being said, when this is passed, and I am sure this will be since it's largely based on politics, not facts, I don't see how the government will chase everyone down with a reef tank to get their banned corals. We just won't be able to buy them as readily as we can now.

 

[Puffyluv]

This may be some misinformation? Let's put it this way...we own a coral aquaculture facility and have many of these banned species. The previous owner of the farm is the head of new development of software in the DOD, so he is good at reading between the lines in government speech. I asked him "should we worry" and he said "no" and that our aquaculture license will cover us. If anyone has any phrases to cite that would prove this wrong...please, let me know!

(Also seems the across state lines bit should cover anyone selling in-state? Not sure, lol, didn't ask him about that! Sorry....selfishly thinking of only the farm...)

 

[dmh41532]

disregard this double post.