Is Conservation and Stewardship of the ocean a factor in your hobby decisions?

Is Reef Conservation/Stewardship a factor in your hobby decisions? (private poll)

  • Very Important

    Votes: 270 54.0%
  • Somewhat Imporatant

    Votes: 163 32.6%
  • Not Too Important

    Votes: 48 9.6%
  • Not Important At All

    Votes: 19 3.8%

  • Total voters
    500

revhtree

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IMPORTANT: We are not going to let this become a political debate. This is a question about YOU and the hobby, not others and politics. If politics are brought into the conversation we will remove the post and the user from the thread without warning. I don't mean to sound rude but it's the only way we will be able to discuss this topic. Please also be nice to others even if you disagree. Hope you understand.


Let's just get right to the question. Thanks for the suggestion @Peace River!

How important is stewardship and/or conservation in your decision to have a marine tank or the types of coral and fish you house?

What types of things, if any, do you factor in to your hobby decisions?


coral.jpg

"Be Moral With Coral" slogan
 

Brew12

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For coral, I will no longer purchase any that come from a reef. I want them to be tank raised at this point. Not necessarily for conservation reasons, only that they have already adapted to tank conditions and are more likely to survive with the original color intact.
For fish, I typically do not care if it is captive bred or wild caught. The bottom line to me is that collection for the hobby is measured per fish. Collection via fishing is typically per ton. More fish are captured off of a typical reef by fisherman in a week than collected for the hobby in a year.
 

Gareth elliott

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I have stated this on other similar threads. But wish vendors would list where their corals originated. Not just country as occasionally listed but some description of what reef, maybe what port the collector ship docked.
Would spend more money on a coral pack if i could say i was caring for a seed bank all from a particular reef.
 

Roosterjack

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I support aquacultured corals and fish as much as possible. The science and information being gained will have broader use in helping to restore reefs. If we, as hobbyist, purchase these specimens we are helping to make an endeavor that has positive implications economically viable.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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Reef keeper in the 80's, just returned 10/2017(wish I never left ). My goal was to try raising dendronephthya and scleronephthya. Then coral bans. Open my eyes. Now race to aquaculture any and all nps corals. I know I'm not the only one.

20191117_190004.jpg

Here's where we're at (Backwoods Lab), finally making some progress 1280095-333b7846f7ad1b51412fd0a1efae2127.jpg IMG_20191231_203437_456.jpg 1267936-d26bdc9337199c2ac1a7fa6d59774157.jpg
 
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tgionet

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For coral, I will no longer purchase any that come from a reef. I want them to be tank raised at this point. Not necessarily for conservation reasons, only that they have already adapted to tank conditions and are more likely to survive with the original color intact.
For fish, I typically do not care if it is captive bred or wild caught. The bottom line to me is that collection for the hobby is measured per fish. Collection via fishing is typically per ton. More fish are captured off of a typical reef by fisherman in a week than collected for the hobby in a year.

This is exactly my thought as well. IIRC fishing by-catch alone is many orders of magnitude worse than the entirety of the ornamental fish trade. Personally I’d love to see corals I’ve grown planted back on the reefs as well.
 

stephen wyard

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Beaning a canadian the reefs are the most important subject.Lets face it without them we would not be here long.I have been in the hobby before and know I am coming back but I have learned that patient and knowledge is important in this hobby so you don"t make the same mistakes over and over.I only buy in house grown corals I refuse to buy ocean harvested ones because of the problem we have created as humans.I am so glad that the biologists are doing many studies to harden corals to with stand the unusual climate changes.Let s all enjoy are hobby
 

Txplicit

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An EMPHATIC yes! Our hobby not only allows us a chance to be the stewards of a small part of the reef ecosystem. Along the way, we all learn to be water chemists and adapt an appreciation for nature and it's wonders. I don't think there is anyone that is dedicated to reefing that can say "I haven't learned or acquired an appreciation for the corals and ecosystems we tend."

With that being said, I am optimistic that one day we can slowly give back. The natural reef systems are declining at an alarming rate due to global warming (doesn't matter if you believe it or not. this is not poiltical), pollution, and over harvesting of corals, fish, etc. We all know in our aquariums that a slight change in parameters can cause decline. Think if those parameters continue to decline for a week, month, years, or a decade....

I'm sure some of our sponsors have (or I hope they have) made some small contributions with our funds towards research and repopulation of the natural reefs. It would make what we throw our money into that much more rewarding.
 

Rilo

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I started out because I liked the beauty of the saltwater fish and then fascinated by the life of coral.

As time went on I got more into the conservation of reefs by tending to mine and helping new reefers get into it by sharing frags of my coral.

There are still corals I want for selfish reasons (Jelly Bean or Rainbow Chalice) but I have put more thought into our oceans as time went on.
 

SDK

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Absolutely yes and I always do everything possible to minimize my impact.

I received my first scuba certification close to 23 years ago and have dove in a fair amount of places. It's horrifying to me how quickly things have degraded in that time. An eyeblink in the long term...
 

Scott Ulrich

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For coral, I will no longer purchase any that come from a reef. I want them to be tank raised at this point. Not necessarily for conservation reasons, only that they have already adapted to tank conditions and are more likely to survive with the original color intact.
For fish, I typically do not care if it is captive bred or wild caught. The bottom line to me is that collection for the hobby is measured per fish. Collection via fishing is typically per ton. More fish are captured off of a typical reef by fisherman in a week than collected for the hobby in a year.

The aquarium trade can have an impact on local fish populations, some of these fish come from very small areas. The Bangai Cardinal was recently placed on the threatened list of Endangered Species act less than a decade after appearing in the aquarium trade.

And while this may be less of an issue in reef-keeping fish, compared to certain endangered reptiles for instance, I think that it is important for the hobby to be pro-active. If conservation and preservation practices are used and a higher percentage of aquarium fish are not taken from the wild, there will be less scrutiny on the hobby.

I try to only buy fish species that I know are available tank-bred and am excited that it seems more and more species are offered through ORA and similar organizations.
 

GrumpyAlison

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I buy aquacultured coral as much as possible and tend to favor corals that can be aquacultured more readily (think not scolys), partly because it means it's less likely to be wild caught if that's not listed in the coral's description, but also because I like trying to propagate things :p
I agree other areas of industry probably have more of an impact on reefs than the hobby does, but I always think it would be cool to re-plant excess corals from people's tanks in the ocean if it ever became necessary.
 

Montiman

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The poll is very broad. I don't want to be hurting the reefs but I don't think any commonly available aquarium livestock is hurting the reef.

For example I see no evidence that there is a problem with fish collection from hawaii so why would I spend double to triple for a tank bred yellow tang. I buy tank raised corals because they are hardier or more colorful not because it is more sustainable. I believe that mariculture is the future of sustainable coral farming but I still feel fine buying wild colonies provided I can care for them. I have simply not seen evidence that any wild collection has caused a significant negative impact on reefs.

In the end I don't think sustainability plays into my regular decision making.
 

Jon Fishman

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I will just add this, since it has already been brought up multiple times.....


Who on a hobbyist level is going to honestly have some coral grow too big, cut/remove it, and keep it in water, SHIP IT perhaps, and someone is going to receive it, possibly dive, and plant/place it in he ocean?


Stop fooling yourselves...... you enjoy reef tanks in your homes/offices..... you’re not Saturday morning cartoon hero Captain Planet.....
 

Always Reefin'

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Boom Corals is solely aquacultured with absolutely no importing. You'll find a diverse selection and good frag sizes. I've personally watched his reefs grow over the years and highly recommend.
 

Sailfin11

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For coral, I will no longer purchase any that come from a reef. I want them to be tank raised at this point. Not necessarily for conservation reasons, only that they have already adapted to tank conditions and are more likely to survive with the original color intact.
For fish, I typically do not care if it is captive bred or wild caught. The bottom line to me is that collection for the hobby is measured per fish. Collection via fishing is typically per ton. More fish are captured off of a typical reef by fisherman in a week than collected for the hobby in a year.
I completely agree. By financially supporting someone catching ornamental fish, they can make a living without completely decimating the fish stocks.
 

Stevel

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IMPORTANT: We are not going to let this become a political debate. This is a question about YOU and the hobby, not others and politics. If politics are brought into the conversation we will remove the post and the user from the thread without warning. I don't mean to sound rude but it's the only way we will be able to discuss this topic. Please also be nice to others even if you disagree. Hope you understand.


Let's just get right to the question. Thanks for the suggestion @Peace River!

How important is stewardship and/or conservation in your decision to have a marine tank or the types of coral and fish you house?

What types of things, if any, do you factor in to your hobby decisions?



coral.jpg

"Be Moral With Coral" slogan
I think the hobbyists have come so far as to grow corals that we can give back if the moment arises. I’ve seen it here living in south Florida were dead reefs are seeded with coral pieces and are doing real well. This could be the same all over the world I think?
 
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