reef collection

[Bullwinkle]

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/break...92054.html

good read, proposal to limit the capture of reef fish - the reefs need the protection it seems

the best way to see the critters is to get in the water with them imho

[mdd7000]

Article in today's Tribune-Herald as well.
I used to be ambivalent about the industry, but after noticing the slowly declining amount of the pretty little fishes in the waters over a 10 year period, I welcome some sort of ban.
The more fish there are, the more tourists we will get, and tourists spend money.

[Kapohocat]

This story is somewhat sensation and snorkel bob of course for years has been trying to shut down the collection side so two sides to this story. Do the snorkel tours impact the fish, too? Just like our pacific trash gyre almost every tourist has sunscreen on, etc. That all disperses into the water.

We have countries that do not regulate the manor/method or quantity of reef fish collecting. If this ban goes into effect, the overall world population suffers. When the fish are not collected in the manor it is done here, then fish that that are imported are collected and brought to the US and then die shortly, and the cycle repeats.

For this to have a real effect, the US on a federal level needs to reduce or eliminate importing reef fish.

The better idea is to identify the most decimated habitat areas and put them into the MLCD areas. The part of the bill to allow the fish to regenerate is appropriate, just like for example lobsters season.

Here is a link to our hanai son's (yes I am a proud auntie!!) thesis of this exact issue with the Potter's angel fish aka Centropyge potteri: http://gradworks.umi.com/14/65/1465875.html He worked with the West Hawaii Fisheries council, and collectors through out the state.

[TrevorKane]

The best conservation efforts I have seen are "no take zones" where all harvesting is banned in a significant geographic area.

You find that the populations recover so well in those areas that the fish, lobster, whatever, will migrate out into the surrounding areas - which then become some of the best "hunting" grounds around.

Personally, I'd like to see a 50/50 rule on the planet - set 50% of each environment aside as no-take, no-development. As it has been historically, man develops 100% of the "best" areas first - often turning them into the worst areas in 100 years or so.

[Bullwinkle]

I like captive breeding - If a commercial entity cant breed it in captivity - They should not be out in the wild collecting the specimen for resale or interfering with habitat