Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
This has been a topic in the past years but is always a good read and can effect all of us that love this hobby.http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2016...tm_campaign=2016_02_05+Coral&utm_medium=email
Something everyone should read
- Thread starter Dmorty217
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CoralsAddiction
Active member
I don't necessarily mind it. On the one hand it's good to see people actively promote protection of natural habitats. On the other hand going after aquarium hobby instead of oil and waste pollution of the ocean might be a narrow sighted approach.
GSMclowns
A Reef Enthusiast
I really like my fishes and my corals. Without them, I really don't know what to do with my free time. I have been to Hawaii and snorkeled a little bit. It was beautiful and I was able to see all the colorful fishes swimming around. A giant turtle even came up and rub against my leg. I also been to other parts of the world where they don't have any laws to protect nature. Beaches and ocean floors were littered with trashes. Most of the fishes were captured and sold. Coral reefs were destroyed.
If the Hawaiian believe that the new Anti-Aquarium bills would protect their reefs and fishes, then let them do that. I won't complain about it. It is a beautiful place and it is up to them to protect it. But they have to do more than just banning the Aquarium Trade.
If the Hawaiian believe that the new Anti-Aquarium bills would protect their reefs and fishes, then let them do that. I won't complain about it. It is a beautiful place and it is up to them to protect it. But they have to do more than just banning the Aquarium Trade.
ThRoewer
New member
The biggest thread to the reefs are tourists who lather up with sun screen and then hop into the water. Sun screen in even tiniest amounts has been shown to do more damage to corals than an oil-spill.
Add to that the waste production, and resource use and it is by far the largest threat to the reefs.
The few small fish (and those are the only ones that should be taken) that are take for aquaria are quickly replenished from new larva settling down.
If you really want to protect the reefs then you have to dial down tourism to a trickle. But that's not going to happen - too much money involved.
Now, I personally can live without the fish from Hawai'i - especially yellow tangs - but I worry that this is just the start of a general crackdown.
Add to that the waste production, and resource use and it is by far the largest threat to the reefs.
The few small fish (and those are the only ones that should be taken) that are take for aquaria are quickly replenished from new larva settling down.
If you really want to protect the reefs then you have to dial down tourism to a trickle. But that's not going to happen - too much money involved.
Now, I personally can live without the fish from Hawai'i - especially yellow tangs - but I worry that this is just the start of a general crackdown.
Deinonych
New member
This is an annual occurrence in Hawai'i and is unlikely to result in any changes to local laws. The Hawai'i fisheries are some of the most well-managed in the world and should be an example of how sustainable collection can be carried out. The aquarium industry is an easy target, even though it has very little (if any) impact on the reef ecosystem. Overfishing and tourism have much more harmful impact on the reefs, yet you never see bills going after those industries.
Deinonych
New member
That is unlikely to happen in Hawai'i. Because the fisheries are so well-managed, there is a tremendous amount of data collected in the process. The data shows that the fish populations are not at risk, and have actually increased. The other side never has any data of their own, but rather relies on emotional arguments to press their case. That's why they never win; data trumps everything.
That said, I wouldn't mind seeing fewer yellow tangs on the market.
hogfanreefer
Active member
It's laughable considering all the huge fish kills in Hawaii caused by pollution. I recall one in the last year that if I remember correctly was related to fertilizer production?
The problem is an ideological one. The people that keep pushing this are not just "green" people that want to protect the environment. If they were they would focus on the much more significant threats. As noted above there is plenty of data about the sustainablity of the fishery in Hawaii. Unfortunately these people don't really care about that. They hate the hobby for other ideological reasons and are using this as a way to damage it...IMO.
The problem is an ideological one. The people that keep pushing this are not just "green" people that want to protect the environment. If they were they would focus on the much more significant threats. As noted above there is plenty of data about the sustainablity of the fishery in Hawaii. Unfortunately these people don't really care about that. They hate the hobby for other ideological reasons and are using this as a way to damage it...IMO.
Deinonych
New member
Agree 100%. We go to Hawai'i every year and inevitably run into an anti-aquarium zealot each visit (usually on dive boats). Most of them see nothing wrong with killing apex predators (Ahi, Ulua, Ono etc.) for food, but have major heartburn about people keeping fish in aquariums.
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There was a molasses spill a few years ago that caused thousands of fish deaths. I am not aware of any others that support the "all the huge fish kills caused by pollution" statement.
Can you cite your reference?
ThRoewer
New member
Unfortunately that doesn't matter much - as soon as a species is banned in the US, it is banned entirely from being held in captivity or traded (of course only inside the US). This US specific approach is extremely stupid and inefficient and solely rooted in laziness.
A good example how harmful this could turn out are the various African Kilifish that have gone extinct in the wild due to habitat destruction and today only exist in captivity and are exclusively maintained by devoted hobbyists.
The Banggai cardinal is one species these zelots have on their screen now. What they don't see is that today Banggais can be harvested from other, non-native sites. Also a growing number comes from hatcheries in the far east (Thailand).
In their natural habitat they are not primarily threatened by over harvesting but by habitat destruction. The only reason the local fishermen don't dynamite everything is that Banggais only have a value while alive. If those have no longer financial value to them then there is nothing to stop them to kill everything.
Fortunately the rest of the world really doesn't give a damn about US prohibitions...
I find the ideology of divers especially hypocritical: They condemn taking anything from the reef but do not consider the damage their mere presence does to the reefs. Just the silt their fins stir up causes more destruction than taking a few tiny frags or fish would do. And if they use sunscreen on the dive boat the damage may even be greater.
That is a very limited area (the western side of Hawaii island).
This is a more definitive study:
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/files/2014/04/ReefFishStocks.pdf
This is a more definitive study:
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/files/2014/04/ReefFishStocks.pdf
ryanerickson
New member
They do this every year nothing new
hogfanreefer
Active member
Other than surgeon fish (which weren't individually enumerated) target fish (which had reduced numbers) were not fish related to the aquarium trade but to human consumption(jacks,apex predators,etc). It specifially mentioned wrasses, damsels and butterflies as not being affected.
I may have missed something but there wasn't anything there to implicate collection for aquariums that I saw.
Deinonych
New member
Good point. I should have specified that the Western Hawai'i fisheries were the ones that demonstrated sustainable management. I don't think any of the other islands have such a program in place currently.
Deinonych
New member
I think that's a pretty broad generalization. Divers who take their sport seriously don't silt up the bottom, touch marine life, or damage coral. Unfortunately, there are bad apples just like in any hobby or sport.
