I often get all sorts of mud thrown in my direction, when I suggest that the practices of the aquarium trade, and even the practices of individual hobbyists, threaten our ability to keep reef aquariums as a whole. Many aquarists think I am just trying to point fingers, and often claim that I am jealous at the trade’s success. They forget that I too am an aquarist, and want an active marine livestock trade that allows me to expand my own aquariums, but also works toward a sustainable trade that follows and adheres to all rules and laws, especially those that manage and protect species. The last thing I would want to see is the end of the aquarium trade, or enhanced regulations that make keeping a reef aquarium more difficult, or limit what we as aquarists can procure. I’ve been called a “hater” which is something I find rather funny, since I’ve had an aquarium since I was a small child. When engaging in discussions online that focus on potential regulations or forced sustainability, I assume that many aren’t aware of how conservation legislation works, or the fact that there are a host of powerful, influential groups that would love nothing more than to see the aquarium trade highly regulated or discontinued. No, these aren’t a bunch of tree-hugging hippies living on a commune, but well oiled-conservation machines that carry with them political clout, scientific expertise and genuine concern about the future of animal species and planet Earth. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has famously enacted a campaign (Operation Reef Defense) that aims to end the aquarium trade, and considers the entire trade trafficking in coral reef animal life for profit. Whether or not individuals within the hobby like or hate Sea Shepherd, it’s hard to argue that they aren’t a successful organization. Alone, they have taken on the nation of Japan and made a serious dent in their commercial whaling industry, which is no small feat, especially for one organization. To try to educate other aquarists as to my concerns, and why I often push individual aquarists and the industry at large to do better, and ask hard questions about certain trade practices, I want to talk about Wild Earth Guardians. Wild Earth Guardians are responsible for the successful petition that has placed the Bangaii Cardinalfish on the Endangered Species List, and they have been vocal about what they hope to see as the future for the species, and the marine aquarium trade as a whole.… More:
The post Wild Earth Guardians: Why groups like this, matter to you appeared first on Reefs.com.