Sea Shepard turns its attention to our hobby

[Ooulophilia]

Figured this would be the right place to post this:

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/editorial-100821-1.html

These are the "Whale Wars" guys from Animal Planet - take a look for yourself and see what you think...

 

[kevantheman35]

he makes some pretty good points i have to say

 

[coralnut99]

I sent them an email.

Basically called it a bit of sensationlism to show a few pictures, and only show the "dark side". How many people will read that, and blame the hobby for every bleaching event, climate shift, and earthquake recorded from here on?

I wrote that they completely overlook where the hobby is today with regard to the mariculture industry spawned in some of the poorest island economies in the world. And they didn't even mention the "once thought to be impossible efforts" of companies like ORA in the aquaculture field right here in the states. I was really shocked they didn't even metion seahorses. But then they probably wouldn't show them being sold by the thousand in open air food markets in the Pacific served fried on a stick for pennies.

It would've been nice, if not fair, if they would've mentioned these things.

I used to support groups like this years ago. Remember Green peace? Dig a bit and you'll find that they employ the very same firms that prop up the biggest names on Wall st.

They have an agenda, they are in a business, and you should use your own sense of reasoning as to whether they actually present a fair and balanced view.

Send them an email, you'll love the response you get.

 

[timrellis]

The guy who wrote this doesn't even know what he's talking about. Doesn't he realize the hobby promotes conservation? I just read about how there are new mariculture facilities in papa new guinea to help support the hobby while at the same time using 70 percent of all the freshly grown coral to restore the local reefs in that area that have been damaged by weather, natural causes, and inevitably the presence of humans. The point is with out interest in the hobby these type of coral farms used to help rebuild reefs would simply not exist. Also how would we have gained the knowledge on how to properly propagate corals with out the research done specifically for the hobby. This guy is trying to create a uproar over something that he obviously hasn't spent enough time researching and being an objective critic.

 

[Beaun]

They way he gets his numbers of fish being exported is...interesting. In the end he promotes his own book...that says enough for me.

 

[gtstylez87]

now i for one have said that certain fish should not be taken for the wild because of their poor survival rate in captivity. i have had a percula clown in my ten gallon for almost 5 years now, and he is doing great. i'm with everybody that thinks he has no idea about what he is talking about. just like any pet you have to know how to take care of them. the author was probably that got a tank and went the cheap route and had all his fish die on him. THIS HOBBY IS NOT FOR ANYBODY!!! i work at a pet store as a fish guy and i tell potential new hobbiest what they are getting themselves into and what to expect. i KNOW other stores don't do that and when they see a new comer all they see is easy money. i like way sea shepherd stands for, but i think they should stick to saving whales. if they want to help they should support more mariculture and aquaculture companies.

 

[cwegescheide]

I agree this industry should be better regulated. Thats about it. It seems you see these SAME stories of the reefs being ravaged by collection for the Aquarium trade every so often. This should be an issue the DNR in Hawaii (in this case) should be on top of and where this organization should police the DNR and not make out aquarium hobbiest to be the boogymen. To basically say ALL fish in ornamental aquariums die shortly after introduction or whatever is a groce overstatement. I've had the same fish for many years in my aquarium(s)..

 

[myaerica]

The sea shepards are nothing but A bunch of wreckless hippies that have not A clue about anything. Obviously whale hunting isin't illegal because If hunting whales was actually illegal sombody with some authority would do somthing about it.Don't get me wrong I don't think we should kill whales,but come on thoes wreckless hippies are doing little to nothing.

 

[phuzzykins]

They way he gets his numbers of fish being exported is...interesting. In the end he promotes his own book...that says enough for me.

Plus, he's in the business of renting snorkels and fins to tourists. It's not as though tourism has no impact on natural reefs.

 

[cdeboard]

"Topping the tank totem are corporate billionaires like Sumner Redstone (ex-chairman, Viacom and CBS), who compared his wall-to-wall-to-wall aquarium to all of Hawaii. “We went out in a boat (in Hawaii) where you could see what was underneath. They didn’t have a fraction of the fish that are in my living room,” Redstone told Kai Ryssdal of PBS.

Or Michael Dell (Computers), whose mega-tank runs about 8x8x40 and needs a maintenance crew."

I wanna see these two tanks. LOL

 

[GhostCon1]

Wow, I am halfway through reading this and wanting to choke the author.

Also, 1-2 x 2-5 = 2-10 ... wut?

EDIT: Actually, 2-10 would be an alternative to write the answer. But his ultimate answer is wrong.

 

[rayn]

I read it, I want my time back please.

 

[tif]

They're ecoterrorists, what did you expect?

 

[loganbug3]

I am all for Sea Sheperd but I think he exaggerated a great deal. Yes there are people and corporations that hurt oceanlife because they mass-export and sell sea life, however more of the exported fish end up in chinese markets as a cheap meal than in aquariums. Thus following most of his article is untrue and irrelevant. In his defense many fish anre raised in poor conditions and sold by the thousands to lfss but this is the fault of the people and corporations who give no heed to life or decent buisiness when offered a quick buck.

Also in response to myaerica (Obviously whale hunting isin't illegal because If hunting whales was actually illegal sombody with some authority would do somthing about it.)
Whale hunting is illegal but short of the United Nations there is nobody with the authority to repremand Japan and I'm not entirely sure the UN could do anything even if the subject was brought to their collective attention. So basically nobody has legal control in the international waters that japanese whalers occupy. Because of this the Sea Shepards have taken it upon themselves to stop this attrocious crime the fleet under the Nishun Maru has been comitting. Granted, the methods of Sea Shepard are extreme but the whalers will respond to nothing else.

 

[HippieSmell]

The sea shepards are nothing but A bunch of wreckless hippies that have not A clue about anything. Obviously whale hunting isin't illegal because If hunting whales was actually illegal sombody with some authority would do somthing about it.Don't get me wrong I don't think we should kill whales,but come on thoes wreckless hippies are doing little to nothing.

They may be reckless hippies, but they aren't clueless, and they are bringing attention to the whaling industry. Whaling should be stopped, for sure.

They're ecoterrorists, what did you expect?

Please. Can we please reserve the terrorist label for people who actually deserve it?

As far as the article goes, I agree the industry might need more regulation, but an outright ban is too much. They should focus on conservation so that those fish have more places to breed, and education so people don't buy things like cleaner wrasses.

 

[thebanker]

What can you do? If you see an aquarium, ask that it be taken down for the sake of the reefs, the fish and us.

Good luck with that, Snorkel Bob.

 

[gtstylez87]

i would love to know where he got his information for this article. he puts all these numbers and facts but has yet to see a reference a source. if he was the one who did the research i really think someone else should cross reference the information. also along with more regulation of types of fish wholesalers and distributers should be closely regulated also. he put up that bag of dead yellow tangs to show fish actually die but is that from one day or a few days. the problem that some people believe everything they read because they think just because its from a site they "trust" it the truth.

 

[fish77]

Our hobby and little effect on the natural reefs...GOOD and bad... But there is more good than bad. In My Opinion

 

[billsreef]

i would love to know where he got his information for this article. he puts all these numbers and facts but has yet to see a reference a source.

That's because facts with actual sources would get in the away of his agenda

 

[lubyone1]

99% of aquarium fish die within a year? This guy is an idiot. I had some respect for him previously until I read this article. As others have mentioned, there should probably be some regulation but certainly not a ban. Just my 2 cents.....I'm still fired up after reading this article about 30mins ago!