Reef keeping is getting a bad buzz these days. The reason I keep bringing up topics like Snorkel Bob, the state of the hobby, etc - is because I believe aquarists have a right to know what’s going on, and hopefully to spur dialogue into what can be done to make the hobby better. Oceanic conservation deserves all the attention it’s getting. Right now plastic is filling up the ocean, climate change is altering the severity of weather worldwide, and coral reefs along with large pelagic species are headed for complete decimation in less than 50 years. While the reef aquarium industry isn’t as rooted in environmental decline as say commercial fishing, it factors into the equation. Enough so that conservationists and legislators have begun taking a close look at our beloved hobby. If you think I am all worked up over nothing, please take a look at the following links:
There are many things that could be done better within the hobby, ranging from our personal treatment of marine life, on up to corporate policies about collection and sale. Here are a few changes that could be made within large pet outlets that sell marine life, streamlining the industry into something not only more rewarding, but far more sustainable.
- Large marine life vendors take an active role in sustainable collection:
Whether or not as marine hobbyists we want to admit it, most people who venture into this hobby will do so from within the walls of a store akin to Petco. These “Walmarts” of the pet trade exist in nearly every suburb, city and town – and have garnished the reputation of offering little to no consumer education, and loads of disinformation. The quality of the assistance you receive at one of these outlets varies based on each individual store, but corporate policy effects the entire chain. These outlets would have the resources to have a huge impact on the hobby. Traveling abroad and founding collection stations, where local islanders were educated on sustainable collection and propagation, could help relieve pressure from natural reefs on two fronts. One, if collectors were paid adequately, they would have no reason to provide fish for the food industry, or reef resources to any other industry. Two, it could streamline shipping and import procedures that account for the death of thousands and thousands of marine animals.… More:
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