What would you do if this hobby was banned
- Thread starter tank41
- Start date
Crooked Reef
Active member
Spend my excess money on ammunition and guns. Basically what I do now but without spending it on the tank.
toothybugs
New member
I would start a freshwater system, as either way (salt or fresh) I'm getting my 215 back. I had a beautiful Oceanic system back in 07-08 and sold it off because I thought I was being smart, but I regret it immensely despite never having had the opportunity to set it up since.
Which would become a minor side hobby to my flyfishing (flytying/ rodbuilding/ bamboo flyrod making) addiction. You think this reefkeeping is expensive...
Which would become a minor side hobby to my flyfishing (flytying/ rodbuilding/ bamboo flyrod making) addiction. You think this reefkeeping is expensive...
xrayjeeper83
New member
Go FOWLR, beginning to enjoy it more then my reef tank anyways. And have more money for my Jeep
sublime9182
Member
Haha start selling frags on tor for bitcoin. 
Big_Boss_77
New member
We could create a last bastion of free reefers. Pool all our knowledge, resources, etc. and create a salty refuge for the zombie apocalypse!
Dozer1one
New member
Start a reefaholics anonymous group, then as it got larger show the government how much they could make off of the taxes of it, then they would pass a bill saying Health insurance companies would cover your 30 day stay, then the ins companies would start a war with the government cause they don't wanna pay for it, then the government would cave in, cause the ins companies essentially run this damn country, revert the bill they passed and reefing would be legal again :wildone:
spsfreak1977
Member
Start smoking crack same thing
dkeller_nc
New member
Correct. This issue is a good deal more serious than the light-heated discussion on the thread might indicate.
And there are implications with the recent listing of several acropora species that are quite different from species like polar bears, birds of prey and even certain coldwater fish species (like some of the native trout in the Western US).
The positive identification of Acropora species can be quite difficult, even for experienced individuals, and the penalties for shipping/selling/trading or possession of endangered species are very high. This means that collectors/distributors/resellers can't take a chance, and would have to pay for some very expensive identification services (possibly even to the extent of DNA tests) to deal in acropora. My guess is that most firms would simply choose not to deal in the genus at all.
Another even more serious issue is the petitioned listing of percula clownfish - a NOAA finding that amphiprion percula was endangered in its home range could mean that every designer clown based on this species, or the captive breeding of the wild-type, would be prohibited. The absurdity of wiping out the extensive aquaculture of this species based on the fishes' wild populations is hard to overstate, but that's the way the Endangered Species Act works.
What is considerably more troubling about this whole mess is that it isn't the "gov'mint" that's to blame. It's a very small group of radical individuals that are using the ESA and the taxpayer-funded NOAA in an attempt to accomplish what they know has no chance with the broader public and legislators - banning or sharply curtailing the practice of keeping fish in aquariums. I know that last sentence sounds like an extreme exaggeration, but it isn't - one of the more infamous individuals to espouse this view is "Snorkel Bob" (Rob Wintner). He refers to aquarium keeping as "The Dark Hobby" on this website.
Many thought-leaders in the aquarium hobby have suggested supporting PIJAC as a way to combat these fringe organizations. While I'm sure that the folks at PIJAC mean well, and science-based "fact" refutation would generally be preferred in a civilized society, this strategy may not be effective in this instance.
The simple problem is the way the law is structured - any group can petition NOAA for an ESA listing. And once the petition is submitted, NOAA must, by law, spend resources evaluating it. By the very nature of this process, there will be a tendency to "compromise", no matter how thorough a job PIJAC does at providing contravening evidence against listing aquatic species of interest to aquarists, when the actual appropriate course of action would be to reject the petitions in totem.
In my opinion, the best way to combat these groups would be hit them where it hurts - in the pocketbook. I'm no lawyer, but I'm thinking a SLAPP against the membership of Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians would be an excellent start.
hobbzz
How do I change this?
This.
AquariumNut
New member
Someone should start a petition asking congress to exclude aquacultured corals and tank raised fish from endangered species in the wild as well as captive bred and raised animals .... I think enough hobbyists would sign that
Arkayology
Active member
Move to Canada.
AquariumNut
New member
They may take ouurrrr lives ...... but they willl never take our Fishtanks ! Arrrhhhh lol
brad65ford
New member
What would you do if this hobby was banned "
Save a lot more money LOL
Save a lot more money LOL
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