Game Changer, possible coral import ban

Servo · Nov 30, 2012

NOAA Proposes Listing 66 Reef-building Coral Species under the Endangered Species Act :: NOAA Fisheries

This will certainly affect our hobby. If a field biologist may have difficulty identifying a genus/species of coral, how do you think customs will handle that? Worse case scenario may be around the corner.

Headiesheradon · Nov 30, 2012

Just reading on this everybody lease pay attention we may only have little time to act

Jlobes · Nov 30, 2012

and, the sky is falling too!!

Aqua fire/medic · Nov 30, 2012

What!!!!!!!!

H2O · Nov 30, 2012

Australia is doing the same thing

jcdeng · Nov 30, 2012

oh well, we still got vendors that grow and frag their colonies.

Ninjapotamus · Nov 30, 2012

enviroscum are going to ruin this hobby

spspirate · Nov 30, 2012

Thank you for posting this.

Reefing8EZ · Nov 30, 2012

More reason to grow the hobby and aquaculture more corals, fish, and inverts..

Acro76 · Nov 30, 2012

The article does not mention banning coral importation entirely. There are around 700 species of coral in the indo Pacific...the proposed list is 59 species from the region. So everyone chill out! Let's see how it all pans out...

gmoney243 · Nov 30, 2012

I blame all u people who "HAVE" to get that latest hottest chalice for $1000/eye lol

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Kworker · Nov 30, 2012

Sorry but I highly respect any decisions made to preserve natural habitats. I like bans occurring. Needs to be a lot more of them in the entire aquarium keeping hobby. There are too many fish and inverts that are easily accessible to people who have no clue what they're doing. And those people buy them on the deceitful recommendations of lfs.
example. For the tang police... Think about how many tangs are kept in 10-29 gal tanks... Sad.
Regulations are needed in my opinion but it would be tough to start regulations and licsencing per person.

Pkunk35 · Nov 30, 2012

Reefing8EZ said:
More reason to grow the hobby and aquaculture more corals, fish, and inverts..

+100000000000

Grow the hobby, grow the interest level and grow the knowledge we have about ocean life. I have a feeling the oceans will need us all one day to help out.

Headiesheradon · Dec 1, 2012

KCbutnotsosunshine said:
Sorry but I highly respect any decisions made to preserve natural habitats. I like bans occurring. Needs to be a lot more of them in the entire aquarium keeping hobby. There are too many fish and inverts that are easily accessible to people who have no clue what they're doing. And those people buy them on the deceitful recommendations of lfs.
example. For the tang police... Think about how many tangs are kept in 10-29 gal tanks... Sad.
Regulations are needed in my opinion but it would be tough to start regulations and licsencing per person.

Its the job of the LFS to inform the hobbyist we need more responsible store owners to teach the hobbyist about what they are taking care of.

GeoHawk · Dec 1, 2012

KCbutnotsosunshine said:
Sorry but I highly respect any decisions made to preserve natural habitats. I like bans occurring. Needs to be a lot more of them in the entire aquarium keeping hobby. There are too many fish and inverts that are easily accessible to people who have no clue what they're doing. And those people buy them on the deceitful recommendations of lfs.
example. For the tang police... Think about how many tangs are kept in 10-29 gal tanks... Sad.
Regulations are needed in my opinion but it would be tough to start regulations and licsencing per person.

I mostly agree with this. Something needs to be done to make sure people getting into the hobby know what they are doing before purchasing delicate creatures.

returnofsid · Dec 1, 2012

I believe this is the same "possible ban" that surfaces every couple of years. It's been attempted several times, in the past 10-15 years, without success...

Headiesheradon said:
Its the job of the LFS to inform the hobbyist we need more responsible store owners to teach the hobbyist about what they are taking care of.

I have a different opinion, and approach...

In my opinion, it's the hobbyists responsibility to research and inform themselves. Do you hold the used car salesman responsible for selling you a vehicle that won't fit in your garage or has more power than you're capable of handling, or uses more gas than your last vehicle, etc?

The best approach is to support GOOD LFS, who have ethical business practices, and to AVOID those LFS who do not have ethical business practices.

gmoney243 · Dec 1, 2012

Headiesheradon said:
Its the job of the LFS to inform the hobbyist we need more responsible store owners to teach the hobbyist about what they are taking care of.

Its up to the hobbyist to learn about what he is taking care of not the stores.

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Servo · Dec 1, 2012

The legal issue is if you have a coral that is on "the list" it becomes illegal for you to frag it, while if you moved out of the state that you are in, it would become illegal for you to take it with you. This is the lack of sensibility of legislation, not to mention that the data is taken for one scientific paper.

Pappy · Dec 2, 2012

It's somehow Obama and pelosi's fault! Jk lol

Headiesheradon · Dec 2, 2012

So if a person walks into LFS and gets burned by a store owner or someone who claims to have knowledge than they have a bad taste in there mouth and killed animals. But if that store owner or clerk was responsible then the customer would have a right way of thinking about the animals, a new found respect for the ocean and its natural wonders and a TRUSTWORTHY person to go to when they had questions or problems with there tank. It is the responsibility of the hobbyist to learn more but it is also the responsibility of the owner/clerk to provide such info..

I have been working in LFS since i was able to work and i have always taken the responsibility to give the correct info about what i am selling. Thats the job that you take on as someone who answers questions. My first job was working for a marine biologist 11 years ago. And the number one thing that i learned and i will never forget as long im doing this... if you dont know... ask. I was taught that first and foremost. He told me that because he didnt want the customers to get the WRONG info and say that we lied to them. I just feel as a store owner myself it is my duty to be the first line of defense against the wrongful care of these reef animals. You has the hobbyist are coming into my store to support me, the least i can do is know what the heck im talking about...

Now that you bought that crappy used car are you going to go buy from that guy again or find someone who is going to lead you in the right direction of choices. me i choose to go with the guy that doesnt lie to me just to make a buck...