‘Snorkel Bob’ joins Sea Shepherd Board of Directors - What does it mean for the hobby?

[revhtree]

I know this has been discussed a little but I wanted to point out some of the quotes from the article and get your thoughts on this. PLEASE read at least the quotes and the whole article if you can.

First here is the original article: Snorkel Bob joins Sea Shepherd Board of Directors


Here are a few quotes:

In August 2010, Sea Shepherd published an online commentary from Wintner, titled, “The dark hobby: How can we stop the devastating impact of home aquaria on reefs worldwide?â€

“This is a two-way street; it’s not just Snorkel Bob’s joins the Sea Shepherd Board of Directors,†Wintner said. “The big news is, Sea Shepherd is onboard the campaign to end the aquarium trade globally.â€

“It really gave global exposure for the first time that traffic of wildlife for the pet trade is a bad thing, no matter what species or what hobby is involved,†Wintner said. “It also really elucidated the hazard and the damage done.â€

The biggest challenge of the fight against the aquarium trade is making people understand that “somebody somewhere†is not raising the fish, it is being caught in the wild, according to Wintner.

A ban on the taking of the Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, which cleans reefs of parasites, is being proposed for the Big Island, but may continue to be harvested from other islands, he said. The “iconic†and “charismatic†fish “will absolutely, positively die in 30 days in captivity,†but the response from hobbyists is that the fish is so fun to watch that it’s worth it, Wintner said.

A reef restoration project based on Maui, For the Fishes, states on its website that every 22.5 seconds a fish is taken from Hawai‘i’s reefs, amounting to 160 fish per hour, or 3,840 per day. Forty percent of these fish won’t live to see an aquarium, dying in transport, and nearly all survivors will be dead within a year.

Wow they know so much for having such little proof of the supposed "facts" they are stating.

 

[Bootstrap]

I'm completely new to the hobby, but for this man to suggest that these fish aren't sustainable in aquariums is ludacris. Not to mention 3.4k fish said to be harvested a day.. I'm sure ther is truth to some of this, but I think they're also failing to see that coral is successfully bred in captivity, and if the community had to, I think we could stop harvesting coral from the oceans altogether and support the hobby with the already existing colonies and farms currently in operation...

What's more is I'd bet that 90% OR MORE of aquarium owners sympathize with the Sea Sheperd's cause of conservation of ocean wildlife. I think it may be JUST LIKE the hunting and fishing sportsman situation. I am an avid hunter, and I will tell you that no group is MORE interested in wildlife conservation than outdoorsmen and hunters. Ducks Unlimited donates an ungoldy amount of money to help conservation each year. Just an example, / end rant

 

[ritter6788]

What's more is I'd bet that 90% OR MORE of aquarium owners sympathize with the Sea Sheperd's cause of conservation of ocean wildlife. I think it may be JUST LIKE the hunting and fishing sportsman situation. I am an avid hunter, and I will tell you that no group is MORE interested in wildlife conservation than outdoorsmen and hunters. Ducks Unlimited donates an ungoldy amount of money to help conservation each year. Just an example, / end rant

Can't say it much better than that.

 

[revhtree]

Bump!

 

[JMSKI333]

I have to say that I think there are some of us who are not ready for a Saltwater Aquarium yet they are still sold livestock. I hear far too many times an adult at my LFS referring to a clown fish as a "nemo fish" without any children around.

I agree with Bootstrap that most of us as hobbyist care about the protection of the reef more than any one else. But I also feel that there should be some sort of qualifications you should meet before you are able to keep live fish and corals to prevent the death rate of the fish as reported by Snorkle Bob. I think then there would be a compromise knowing that the fish we are taking from the reef have a good chance of living a good long life in our home reefs.

 

[bobbyM]

I agree with bootstrap. A client of mine, who owns a 90 gallon reef, donates big dollars to the Sea Shepard every year.

Jean-Michel Cousteau's talk at the MACNA banquet sure gave me a lot of hope for the future of the hobby.

I love what mariculture has brought to the table. A way to reseed dyeing reefs and funded by our hobby.

Programs like Sea Smart also lead the way to a more sustainable hobby. Money, is the best driving force behind conservation. If the coral reefs are not worth a $$$$ amount, then it is likely that no conservation efforts will be made.

Keep in mind Snorkel Bob makes his money through tourism, and cares little about less under developed countries.

We in the aquarium trade, often take the heat for the live seafood trade.

 

[Headiesheradon]

I'm completely new to the hobby, but for this man to suggest that these fish aren't sustainable in aquariums is ludacris. Not to mention 3.4k fish said to be harvested a day.. I'm sure ther is truth to some of this, but I think they're also failing to see that coral is successfully bred in captivity, and if the community had to, I think we could stop harvesting coral from the oceans altogether and support the hobby with the already existing colonies and farms currently in operation...

What's more is I'd bet that 90% OR MORE of aquarium owners sympathize with the Sea Sheperd's cause of conservation of ocean wildlife. I think it may be JUST LIKE the hunting and fishing sportsman situation. I am an avid hunter, and I will tell you that no group is MORE interested in wildlife conservation than outdoorsmen and hunters. Ducks Unlimited donates an ungoldy amount of money to help conservation each year. Just an example, / end rant

+1000000000 on getting better managed stores and supporting the people that actually care about what there doing!!! I am a store owner and i donate a portion of my profits to Coral Conservation. In my mind its a necessary step that i am have to take to prolong the future of wild reefs for my grandchildren to hopefully dive at when im long gone.

 

[micromount]

While in Hawaii this past spring there were lots of Yellow Tangs right by the condo I was staying at in Kona and lots of fish in the other places I snorkeled.
Yellow Tang population depleted?
I think it is a marketing ploy for Snorkel Bob. I stopped in one of his stores to look at his books. Even his employees think he has gone overboard.
Yes, maybe limits can be pt on the number of fish caught but not an outright ban. I brought this up and they agreed but was told there was no way that they would suggest it.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

I think what we all need to realize is that this group here is very conscientious of our reefs and ecosystem. Hence the breeding, fragging and aquaculture practices that many follow and some vendors live by. But the sad truth is, we are but a small group among many that have saltwater tanks, freshwater tanks, reptiles and other exoctic pets whether legal or illegal. Unfortunately, many don't care how they are captured or how long they will live as long as they can have them. I just recently heard about a guy who has a clown trigger, puffer, yellow tang and a shark in a 55gallon with about 30-40 pound of live rock. As if that was enough to make you nauseous, the tank has only been up and running 3 weeks....how many times do you think this happens? So while you may be upset with his comments, there is a issue that our hobby creates. There is plenty of money associated with our hobby and plenty of morons that contiune to drive up the demand. Keep in mind, i fully understand pollution, overfishing (for consumption), global warming are all adding to the issue but by no means should we feel like our hobby has no effect.

Don't be blind - Marine aquarium fish trade study reveals fewer fish, more species imported than previously estimated

 

[revhtree]

I feel like MOST of my friends in the hobby do care so I don't see how the majority can be the group that doesn't care.

 

[Singlefin]

Snorkel Bob can suck it. The amount of uneducated tourists he puts in our waters to trample on our reefs is crazy. They do way more damage to the ecosystem than a managed harvest of aquarium fish. What would be awesome is if the aquarium trade would start using some of the invasive species of fish the state ignorantly introduced as a food source that has wiped out the prized native species we covet. Sell those to the idiot with a shark in a 3 week old 55g.


Slow your roll..

 

[ritter6788]

We went snorkeling last year in Costa Maya. They preached to us not to touch the coral over and over. We swam from a floating platform in about 4 ft. of water to a knoll covered in corals that was barely covered by water at the top. Along the way every small rock had something growing from it and everyone was broken from people trampling on it. The guides were standing on Sea Fans and breaking them while they were talking to us.

 

[cdness]

Snorkel Bob is always off his rocker on the stuff he says. This will never change.

So put an end to Snorkel Bob and his business. Make sure you tell all your friends who do decide to go to Hawaii to choose the "other" business and avoid Mr Bob altogether. With no money he will no longer be able to afford to go around preaching his extremist messages. Joining with the Sea Shepard is going to back fire on him as well.

 

[CherryCorals]

For once I would like to hear from someone who truly knows the state of the reefs.......the collectors.

I had the opportunity to speak with the collectors from Corals Down Under at MACNA this year and what they told me was most encouraging!! I was told that the Aussie collectors will collectively not harvest from an area that is under stress(run off and such). They have an organization that they formed to help manage the resource.

The guys gave me a great example of a reef that had suffered from a bleaching event and that just a couple of years later they revisited the same location and it was right back to normal. Cairns Marine has been harvesting Dendrophyllia from the same giant stand in the same location for 20 years(thanks for the info Laura). Thats good management!!

Walt Smith is conducting work shops in Fiji where he and his people are getting the people of Fiji directly involved in the aquaculture and re seeding of their reefs ensuring the future of their community and the resources of Fiji.

Dave Palmer of Pacific Aqua Farms has also been involved in efforts to do the same.

Aquaculture/mariculture in Bali is huge, just ask Jason Fox, he was there.

The list goes on, and on...

I think the positives that are building in this hobby are significant and I hate to think a well organized bunch of idiots could end our hobby by spreading propaganda among non hobbyists.

We need to be proactive and do what we can to help educate the public and keep organizations like masna funded so they can help us fight for our hobby.

 

[Singlefin]

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/rules/drafts/Oahu_Aq_Rules_dr.pdf


Slow your roll..

 

[Singlefin]

What we are facing now. snorkel bob is pretty vocal here.

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/chair/pio/nr/2012/NR12-149.pdf


Slow your roll..

 

[Headiesheradon]

For once I would like to hear from someone who truly knows the state of the reefs.......the collectors.

I had the opportunity to speak with the collectors from Corals Down Under at MACNA this year and what they told me was most encouraging!! I was told that the Aussie collectors will collectively not harvest from an area that is under stress(run off and such). They have an organization that they formed to help manage the resource.

The guys gave me a great example of a reef that had suffered from a bleaching event and that just a couple of years later they revisited the same location and it was right back to normal. Cairns Marine has been harvesting Dendrophyllia from the same giant stand in the same location for 20 years(thanks for the info Laura). Thats good management!!

Walt Smith is conducting work shops in Fiji where he and his people are getting the people of Fiji directly involved in the aquaculture and re seeding of their reefs ensuring the future of their community and the resources of Fiji.

Dave Palmer of Pacific Aqua Farms has also been involved in efforts to do the same.

Aquaculture/mariculture in Bali is huge, just ask Jason Fox, he was there.

The list goes on, and on...

I think the positives that are building in this hobby are significant and I hate to think a well organized bunch of idiots could end our hobby by spreading propaganda among non hobbyists.

We need to be proactive and do what we can to help educate the public and keep organizations like masna funded so they can help us fight for our hobby.

+1 to Todd. We def. have to be active and awair of legislation is going in that concerns our hobby. Point and case just look at the snake bans from last year to give a example of how fast something can happen to change the course of our hobby. Just be more aware and preach what good this hobby is doing and support conservation.

 

[micromount]

Here is another '**** of the ocean for Snorkel Bob.
Giant Clams live in fields at the Bolinao Marine Laboratory, Philippines | Reef Builders | The Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog and Magazine
'sic' he would probably misconstrue this article somehow.

 

[shred5]

This is something not to take lightly. This ups his power. We are already under fire on a few major bans:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/...fs/Clownfish-and-damselfish-petition-2012.pdf
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2012/11/docs/list_of_66_proposed_corals.pdf
NOAA Proposes Listing 66 Reef-building Coral Species under the Endangered Species Act :: NOAA Fisheries

Those were just proposed in the last few months and include some important corals in this hobby.

There are going to be fewer and fewer corals and fish imported real soon.

To who ever said this hobby could survive without wild caught fish and coral is wrong. There are not enough coral farms to support the hobby. The prices would go through the roof.
As far as fish this hobby would not last long on clown fish. People would get bored real fast. The few other species of fish are being bred in very limited quantities.

 

[e.litvin]

I can understand concerns with whaling because the whales are taken out of the ocean and killed.. As a saltwater aquarium owner I know I cherish my fish and corals. The point being having tropical fish should be the least of their worries. Its not like fishing where you mount your catch on the wall, my fish are like part of the family and I take very very good care of them and provide a suitable environment for them.