BREAKING NEWS: USFWS Notifies Aquarium Businesses that Importing Listed Corals is Illegal
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Senior El Roboto
Community Member
my LFS just called their rep and so far this is false and has not gone thru yet. tomorrow is a new day though.
Mike&Terry
Wrasses, Angels, & Tangs, Oh My!
Importation of the 20 species on the list will not be prohibited.
Updated story reported by Advanced Aquarist:
UPDATED! USFWS Port of Los Angeles notifying aquarium trade not to import the 20 newly listed Threatened corals ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
Updated story reported by Advanced Aquarist:
UPDATED! USFWS Port of Los Angeles notifying aquarium trade not to import the 20 newly listed Threatened corals ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
specvjeff
Active Member
pickupman66
5000 Club Member
Wow. Crazy happenings. Now is the time to demonstrate our comittment to aquaculture and sustainable methods. I will not throw any of my collection in the trash. it's my wife's favorite.
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erk
Valuable Member
I think this is where receipts and records come into play. Most likely proving a history of where the piece was procured and length of time in the aquarium. Of course the law could be twisted and such, but that can be said about so many other things as well. I think the legislation is more to control those providing than those buying. Kind of like drugs. You want to remove the dealers so the users can't obtain it any longer. In this case, they want to remove those that are bringing in wild caught illegally and will punish those that fund it to make an example. In my case, I buy cheap corals that have been in the hobby a long time. I don't care for the hype about super mega unicorn poop or whatever. To me they are all pretty and I'd rather have the coral that is cheap and has been shown to grow well in many people's tanks. I think a better stance in this situation is to embrace that these corals are being protected and come up with ways to ensure sustainability while allowing for corals to still be kept. Like coral farms or maybe taking a frag of an acro instead of the whole colony. Half the fun is watching it grow out in your tank. I believe that people are more willing to listen if you bring possible, well thought out solutions to the table instead of just incessant complaints.
Get your facts right. First of all Acropora is a GENUS of coral not a SPECIES. This listing inlcudes 20 species of coral not all of which are Acroporas. Of the Acropora listed only FOUR are commonly traded in the aquarium hobby. There are hundred of different species of Acropora. Also, of the 20 corals listed there are only five you would see in the aquarium hobby. The coral were listed as threatened which basically means they are at risk. Threatened is a step below endangered on the protection aspect of the legislation. No one said that these corals will be illegal to own. This does not mean our hobby will be banned. People are way overreacting. Here is a very good resource on the issue explaining why the corals were listed. http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2014/08/docs/corals_fact_sheet.pdf please read. There will never be a need to throw corals in the trash.
Just got off the phone with USFWS, US CUSTOMS WILD LIFE DEVISION, AND NMFS.
THEY CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS MISINFORMATION AND THAT WAS NOT AN OFFICIAL LIST, STATEMENT, OR LEGISLATION STATING IT NEVER CAME FROM ANY OFFICIAL SOURCE AND IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SOCIAL MEDIA PHENOMENON
THEY CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS MISINFORMATION AND THAT WAS NOT AN OFFICIAL LIST, STATEMENT, OR LEGISLATION STATING IT NEVER CAME FROM ANY OFFICIAL SOURCE AND IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SOCIAL MEDIA PHENOMENON
this is the beginning of the end in my eyes the government is now going to take a foot hold in the salt water businesseven though it has bee nproven that the salt water community has little to no effect on the wild grown pieces it has to do more with the raise in the water temperatures around coral reefs and dumping millions apon millions of gallons of oil into the ocean people want to just point blame and they are going to point it at the hobbyists truly is a shame
erk
Valuable Member
The amount of doom and gloom in this thread is depressing. Everyone is saying its the end. Every stony coral in the Atlantic and gulf is protected as well. I'm sure everyone cried that it was the end then too. Its only the end if you go out and buy wild harvested corals as your only source. I would hope at this point with all of the technology we could be able to keep many corals growing and flourishing without pulling them from the ocean on a daily basis.
It's all over...
How about it's time for us to become active in supporting groups to fight for common sense legislation. For us to speak up, because anti-reefkeeping individuals sure have been speaking up for a long time. Reef keepers in general love our animals and are all about protecting them in the wild, but it is up to us to ensure facts and not just activist opinion and accusations are used when these conservation laws are forming. If our hobby is banned it will be because we sat and did nothing but complain in online forums.
How about it's time for us to become active in supporting groups to fight for common sense legislation. For us to speak up, because anti-reefkeeping individuals sure have been speaking up for a long time. Reef keepers in general love our animals and are all about protecting them in the wild, but it is up to us to ensure facts and not just activist opinion and accusations are used when these conservation laws are forming. If our hobby is banned it will be because we sat and did nothing but complain in online forums.
Now that I am off work...
Why are you assuming it is a bad thing? This is to protect endangered species that are becoming rarer in the wild. Why would you fight that? As reef and coral keepers we should be the ones supporting this legislation. We are some of the few people who can appreciate the beauty of these animals. However, we should not want to see their extinction in the wild because of it. There are plenty of species that are similar and abundant. I am a firm believer in aquaculture and sustainable harvest. I think we should be able to keep aquacultured specimens in our systems. Unfortunately, there is no way to distinguish wild caught from aquacultured specimens.
Out of the 20 corals listed 5 are semi to popular in the aquarium trade. Most of the rest are not colorful nor very exciting. I for one can do without 5 species of coral in my tank to protect 20 species. As I said I think we should be able to keep the listed species that are already in captivity and or aquaculture. It is one mechanism by which these corals can be protected. However, we still need to maintain a stable brood stock of these corals in the wild so that they can repopulate and better withstand climate change I.e ocean acidification and temperature rise. The reefs are resilient and can adapt.
I will even go as far to say that the experimentation and frequent study done by hobbyist have contributed to advances in modern coral and reef biology. These species have been listed as threatened which basically means at risk. The designation of endangered is defined as on the brink of extinction under the Endangered Species Act to which this listing does not apply. I have yet to see any factual evidence or proof that these coral will be illegal to own. So far the importation of these corals is possibly in jeopardy. Even if the corals listed do become illegal to own the NMFS, USFWS and NOAA combined would not have the resources to go door to door across America, ID then seize all corals in question. This is in no way is detrimental to the aquarium hobby. I am not concerned. In fact the aquarium industry is but one stakeholder of this resource. This is not meant to punish hobbyist. It is a tool that the NMFS can use to protect coral reef habitats.
Responsible coral farming and sustainable harvest can indeed support small island communities and I fully support it. When it is practiced. They will still have plenty of coral species to grow and import and the habitat that other species of coral use will benefit because the habitat of species that are listed as endangered is also protected. There are hundreds of species Acropora and thousands of other species of corals.
Why are you assuming it is a bad thing? This is to protect endangered species that are becoming rarer in the wild. Why would you fight that? As reef and coral keepers we should be the ones supporting this legislation. We are some of the few people who can appreciate the beauty of these animals. However, we should not want to see their extinction in the wild because of it. There are plenty of species that are similar and abundant. I am a firm believer in aquaculture and sustainable harvest. I think we should be able to keep aquacultured specimens in our systems. Unfortunately, there is no way to distinguish wild caught from aquacultured specimens.
Out of the 20 corals listed 5 are semi to popular in the aquarium trade. Most of the rest are not colorful nor very exciting. I for one can do without 5 species of coral in my tank to protect 20 species. As I said I think we should be able to keep the listed species that are already in captivity and or aquaculture. It is one mechanism by which these corals can be protected. However, we still need to maintain a stable brood stock of these corals in the wild so that they can repopulate and better withstand climate change I.e ocean acidification and temperature rise. The reefs are resilient and can adapt.
I will even go as far to say that the experimentation and frequent study done by hobbyist have contributed to advances in modern coral and reef biology. These species have been listed as threatened which basically means at risk. The designation of endangered is defined as on the brink of extinction under the Endangered Species Act to which this listing does not apply. I have yet to see any factual evidence or proof that these coral will be illegal to own. So far the importation of these corals is possibly in jeopardy. Even if the corals listed do become illegal to own the NMFS, USFWS and NOAA combined would not have the resources to go door to door across America, ID then seize all corals in question. This is in no way is detrimental to the aquarium hobby. I am not concerned. In fact the aquarium industry is but one stakeholder of this resource. This is not meant to punish hobbyist. It is a tool that the NMFS can use to protect coral reef habitats.
Responsible coral farming and sustainable harvest can indeed support small island communities and I fully support it. When it is practiced. They will still have plenty of coral species to grow and import and the habitat that other species of coral use will benefit because the habitat of species that are listed as endangered is also protected. There are hundreds of species Acropora and thousands of other species of corals.
PatW
2500 Club Member
The parrot trade in the USA is virtually 100 percent captive bred. Many birds are commonly kept as pets with flourishing captive bred populations that are endangered in the wild state. I believe that the importation of virtually all wild caught parrots is illegal. The pet trade of captive bred birds is legal. I doubt that the authorities have any interest in the trade in aqua cultured corals.
The point of fighting is to ensure any ban is based on science and conservation. Not to blindly follow those who just want the coral trade to become totally outlawed. We need to have voices heard so even if they ban all wild coral aquacultured ones are still ok. Without a voice it's possible to have genus level restrictions - how about all acro and montis being totally banned? No aquacultured trade allowed. The point being we as hobbiests need to be active and educate the lawmakers and public on amazing captive achievements like ORA and hobbiest driven concervation projects. People outside the hobby don't know about those happenings in our hobby.
Sorry man. You are taking this way out of perspective. The ones that make that call are the ones with the science. The National Marine Fisheries Service,
National Atmospheric Association ad wildlife are all well respected organizations whom base there rulings on facts and peer reviewed science. The aquarium trade will never be banned or illegal as your conspiracy states. No one wants the coral trade to become outlawed. You are the one who is basing your claims off of nothing.
I can tell that you have not bothered to read any of the posts.
National Atmospheric Association ad wildlife are all well respected organizations whom base there rulings on facts and peer reviewed science. The aquarium trade will never be banned or illegal as your conspiracy states. No one wants the coral trade to become outlawed. You are the one who is basing your claims off of nothing.
I can tell that you have not bothered to read any of the posts.
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