The ethics of this hobby

[Goaway]

We wanted a pretty thing and something to waste our time and money with and it just so happened that living things were involved. It is the epitome of human to take creatures captive for decoration/entertainment.

That maybe today's situation. But I didn't start with an aquarium because I wanted a pretty thing. I wanted to know more. I wanted to see more. I wanted to understand a world I cannot live in. Everything to me is pretty. Life is beautiful. Even those ugly bristle worms crawling around the sand and rocks.

I don't like the thought of animals being taken from their natural habitat just to support human interest.

@OP When owning an aquarium - terrarium - birds - cats - dogs, we have choices now. MANY choices all carved by those before us. A LOT of these corals are grown from decade old colonies. You have those who don't care, those who die caring, those who learn to care and then some stop caring.
Pick a path and follow it. You have choices.

 

[BZOFIQ]

@Deadlocked I think your worry is misplaced.

What is collected for the hobby vs human consumption amounts to a spec of dust in the sea.

Watch SeaSpiracy on Netflix

SEASPIRACY DOCUMENTARY

SEASPIRACY is the groundbreaking Netflix Original documentary which highlights the fishing industries plunder of our oceans, and challeneges the notions of sustainable fishing.

www.seaspiracy.org

That said, I love seafood.

 

[kingjoe]

I bigger irony is those tourist dollars help support the local economy and help deter reef raping.

I also don't get what the @#$% long line fishing or drift net fishing has to do with boutique reef keeping. Oh yeah...nothing.

Most reefers here would support fishing with sticks of dynamite if they could keep their tanks stocked.

Long line and drift net fishing have everything to do with criticisms of reef keeping because no exploitative venture exists in a vacuum. When one activity is put under scrutiny, it is only natural to protest by making valid comparisons. According to oceana.org, US fishing fleet by-catch may come to ~ 2 billion pounds per year. The majority of these creatures are dead or dying when tossed overboard. How would that compare to the animals taken for the marine collection trade over the same time period? We've known for years not only how wasteful long lines and drift nets are in terms of non-targeted species, but also the immense suffering they cause to sharks, turtles, sea birds, and other animals. You can't rightly expect a reefing enthusiast to quietly succumb to the "marine aquarium keeping is cruel and destructive" argument without them noting the many far worse practices that humans engage in routinely. How many people eat fish? How many consider the pain the animal went through before it died, or the wasted biomass relative to their meal? I'm fine with the ethics of this hobby. I keep a mix of captive bred and wild caught fishes and corals; some prefer captive bred only, and I'd imagine that some give it no thought at all. Captive breeding seems to be taking off now and that is great news for all aquarists.

I've made mistakes, had my losses, unintentionally caused suffering. And so has everyone else. Any type of pet keeping necessarily makes a living thing a commodity, and that can always be subjected to ethical concerns. I do the best I can for the well being of my charges, and I periodically read up on habitat encroachment and species of concern and do take that into account when planning or stocking a tank.

Don't include me in your dynamite fishing generalization.

 

[Pistondog]

I don't fish in the lake anymore. I think the fish we keep are better off, in general than in the wild, where they are food for other fish.
All part of the animal friendly spectrum, which includes dogs, cats, birds, hamburgers, hot dogs and bacon.
Choose what you feel good or bad about.
Like someone said, net trawlers and exhaust fumes are more disruptive than what we do.
Then there's those 13 supersize oil tankers that burn the nastiest oil they can't sell as fuel, putting more into the air than all cars combined. No regulations at sea.

 

[Oldreefer44]

There will always be valid 'whataboutisms". At least until there are no "whats" left.