Weekly Discussion - How bad is coral collection

[fisheye1]

I believe we as reefers need to take a stand and make a conseince decision to never again buy wild collected livestock. I know it's hard when you see that beautiful being in a store and you want it then and now. We just need to step back say no and go looking for something aquacultured. It's hard to find but it's so worth the effort. As long as we keep buying wild collected livestock we are part of the problem. Even if you know it's being collected with low impact you are still supporting an industry that will always encourage raping of the reef. Besides for every single safe collector there are a 100 unsafe uneducated collectors driven on by our bucks. The more we ask stores to stock farm raised livestock, and rufuse to spend our money on wild caught, the further the aquacultered industry will be pushed to develop and expand. Our reefs are declining so quickly that we will lose 50% by 2020. Ok I will step down off my soap box and return to staring at my tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Fisheye,

How do you know there are 'unsafe, uneducated collectors' that are 'raping the reef' when they collect coral?

We know the reefs are declining, and we know that fish collection is problematic. I also understand the connection you are making between buying anything and supporting the industry (and the same argument can be made in regards to purchacing any saltwater equipment at all!).

What I am trying to figure out with this weeks discussion is how much damage coral collection actually does.

 

[fisheye1]

I know I was a bit preachy. But too many people are disallusioned by the statistics. I have personally been around a few collection areas on different islands. I have also been in contact with locals and ect. so I guess some of my information is second hand and thus suspect,and yes 100 is probably and exagertion. But it does exist more than most think. Don't take everything at face value. And I wish I had more hard references and facts. I am very passionate and that can skew my perception, but I hope to be more scientifc in the future. I hope I don't piss anyone off or come across as a emotional buffoon. Cheers everyone.

 

[shaw]

Great discussion, I have worked at pet stores for years, and the only reason i do, is to help explain the ethics to people about this "hobby". i try to do my part by propagating already tank-raised animals as well as become educated about marine science and pass that knowledge on to others

 

[Kalkbreath]

I know I was a bit preachy. But too many people are disallusioned by the statistics. I have personally been around a few collection areas on different islands. I have also been in contact with locals and ect. so I guess some of my information is second hand and thus suspect,and yes 100 is probably and exagertion. But it does exist more than most think. Don't take everything at face value. And I wish I had more hard references and facts. I am very passionate and that can skew my perception, but I hope to be more scientifc in the future. I hope I don't piss anyone off or come across as a emotional buffoon. Cheers everyone.

Tell us what you saw on those" few collection areas" Did you see harm from the collection of corals ? Also what do you imagine the natives would be doing to earn a living if they were not harvesting a few coral from the reef? There is no coral collection in The Philippines and they blast the live coral to get sea food.........do you think the natives you witnessed collecting corals might fish for seafood from their reef.....had they not been able to collect corals for a living ? If we could remove mankind from each and every island ....and away from the reefs........that would be great. But just like having you move off the piece of land that you live on ..."so we can return your neighborhood back to its "natural" state".......the people that make the islands their neighborhood are going to live there and make it their home..........Captive grown corals are a great thing ,but they in no way help save the reefs.........Giving the natives that take care of the reefs a reason to care about the health of the reefs is what will save the reefs...........

 

[Anonymous]

Also what do you imagine the natives would be doing to earn a living if they were not harvesting a few coral from the reef? There is no coral collection in The Philippines and they blast the live coral to get sea food.........

I have never understood this argument for collection. Just teach them not to blast the coral for food and the reefs are saved. They don't have to collect at all.

 

[Kalkbreath]

Seafood fishermen dont care if the fish are dead when they collect them..or the coral.......this means that there are many more ways to collect fish.............Hand nets are not something that grouper and snapper fishermen can use.......the fish in the Philippines have learned over the many years to hide deep in the coral upon first sight of divers.......getting the fish out of the massive coral heads has always been difficult..........Well not if your using dynamite or cyanide.........Barrier nets are fun when fishing for five or ten pound groupers or wrasses.......if you like to untangle nets all day...............even hook and line is problematic because the big fish wedge themselves into the coral at hook up and the smaller fish get eaten by the larger fish before one can reel them up..........plus the seafood market is quite picky about which fish they want so a native might fish for hours and not catch the species that he can sell.....Kind of like netting fish in the local fish store BLIND FOLDED!....Its so much easier if you can see.the fish first...........If you want to understand how fun fishing can be with a hand net............just try to catch that angle fish in your reef tank with out removing any rock.......... :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

But it is also difficult to teach them to collect ornamental fish without posion. I just don't think the argument 'if they didn't collect for the hobby, they would be blowing up the reefs' holds water.

 

[Kalkbreath]

But it is also difficult to teach them to collect ornamental fish without posion. I just don't think the argument 'if they didn't collect for the hobby, they would be blowing up the reefs' holds water.

Yes your correct. they would instead become kava farmers or lumber clear cutters , they would plow their land and farm the soil...........the main harm to the reefs worldwide is agriculture run off{even our Fla Keys}......ask anyone who has been over the unhealthy reefs as of late and and they will tell you that the water is no longer clear.......it is the soil erosion that is killing the reefs......asking seafood fishermen to use handnets is like asking deer hunters to use hand nets .........yes it can be done but the chances of it ever happening as nil.......getting a five pound grouper to get in a hand net is almost as hard as getting a seven point buck into a hand net. .................also a large part of the seafood fishing done daily in PI is for the few million natives that live and eat daily ........If it took an hour to get your family a meal at Mcdonalds you would most likely attempt to find a faster meal plan .........and I think jumping into your local river of lake with a hand net to catch dinner.........is not something we Americans would find fun every day at mealtime..................so to ask the natives in another country to spend each day swimming around with a net chasing dinner is something neither they or their hungry children would find appropriate...?