Reread this part of the article:
"
Exporting live coral from Japan adds a tremendous amount of time, costs, paperwork and red tape. [\QUOTE]
Um whomever wrote that originally has no clue about transhipping coral...
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Reread this part of the article:
"
Exporting live coral from Japan adds a tremendous amount of time, costs, paperwork and red tape. [\QUOTE]
Um whomever wrote that originally has no clue about transhipping coral...
We're not like other places, we mark up by percentages unless its something SUPER nice or super rare. Nobody wants the public knowing what these "fancy named" corals actually cost.
We bought the Japanese Zoa's from a wholesaler in HK, which is like 650 miles from Japan, for a geography reference, its 660miles from Los Angeles CA to Albuquerque NM....
For the record.... How come nobody has a problem with Red Sea/African coral/fish? Its illegal to ship them direct from Africa, but people by them all the time from HK, Singapore, Thailand and other places. Its the same thing, its only illegal to ship direct to the US in most cases.
Who is responsible when a pawn shop or anybody who purchases ends up getting stolen or illegal goods? It becomes the stores problem at that point; it's your job to do your homework and get paperwork. Remember the phrase that you've probably heard a bunch: "Ignorance of the law is no excuse"
If BWT posted that, would you be satisfied or state that's not sufficient?
If the pawn shop has purchased a stolen item, typically it's confiscated by police and an investigation is made. Unless the pawn shop knowingly purchased something stolen they're not held at fault, they lose the stolen item however. That's why most shops are required by law to hold items for a period of time before reselling. Thanks history channel! (and I'm assuming you're not calling me ignorant here, or was that what you were trying for? I apologise if I missed a dig :xd: )
Agreed, provided both sides (including myself of course) continue the discussion with some allowance of facts vs opinions and an acceptance of our position (meaning if we're stubborn one way we accept that sufficient evidence may prove insufficient for us. I.E. if someone shows me a court case showing a guy getting fined for collecting Zoas in japanese water, I'm stubborn and might state that this is one case)BTW this thread is very beneficial because we are discussing.
He was corrected on species, most likely. However the original article states that seemingly all corals or at least all Zoas are illegal to collect/export. By proving that at least one Zoa species is not a problem to export, at least the article loses some credibility, as well as showing that useage of other purpoted facts in that article could be subject (if I said the sky is brown, you would probably suspect my opinion on cat's being capable of flying an airplane, regardless of what efforts I may have put forth in training said cat.)Were you not corrected on the zoa species that you discussed?
Drainbramage mentioned that his zoas are generally on coralline algae. I've personally never purchased zoanthids that were on big slabs of coralline algae...that seems like a pretty delicate thing to collect... (wild)zoanthids I've purchased have always come on rock or dead coral.
Are any of these for sale on here and being touted as Red Sea or African coral/fish?
So I guess our biggest problem now is that the person that wrote the article on glassbox isn't credible any more. I'd love to see some facts that state that he is lying.
I think it depends EXACTLY what it is and EXACTLY what it says. It goes for anyone selling japanese zoas claiming they actually got them from japan- it just depends.
I've got some japanese deepwater zoas.
Yes, I have paperwork.
Sure, they were legally exported/imported.
Believe me?
I have a Hawai'in Yellow Tang that was legally collected, then exported, then imported. believe me?
I have a Hawai'in Yellow Tang that was legally collected, then exported, then imported. believe me?
That is my point I guess. Why claim a coral/fish is from somewhere, knowing it will drive a higher price, when you can't/won't prove it? To me, that is bad business.
If you consider it bad business don't buy it! It's as simple as that! Doesn't mean you have to sit here and basically accuse someone of false advertising when you can't prove it.
Once again, innocent until proven guilty. This is the US right?
I didn't take a shot at you. I wouldn't do that.
I watch the history channel too...keep in mind, you gave the scenario for what happens with STOLEN goods...but not illegal goods... contraband is not the same as stolen goods.
Right, I'm a consumer/hobbyist. If I sell something that is illegal, do you not think that I would or should be held accountable? If you were the seller, would you feel like you shouldn't be held accountable? Again, ignorance of the law is no excuse. If you don't like the word "ignorant" then not knowing the law is no excuse that sounds less offensive right?
and again...I'm not taking a dig
wait, wait. you're not in hawaii, so how could you have exported from hawaii then imported back and still have it? :wink:
Answer = Maybe
If you consider it bad business don't buy it! It's as simple as that! Doesn't mean you have to sit here and basically accuse someone of false advertising when you can't prove it.
Once again, innocent until proven guilty. This is the US right?