reeffirstaid
Active Member
One thing I will say, there needs to be more openness, among all vendors, about the source of their livestock. If it's tank or mark-cultured - then from where? If it's wild caught, then from where? Reefers need to have this information, so they can make informed decisions, and not support nations that are hacking their reefs to pieces for the aquarium hobby, or supplying livestock that has been chemically collected. This type of openness is crucial, not only to the success of the aquarist, but also the future of the hobby and wild coral reefs.
There also need to be more oversight, on behalf of sites like R2R, making sure that laws and limits that are in place, are actually followed. Right here, on R2R, i've seen illegally collected corals, from CITES no take areas, advertised for sale. Is it the ignorance of the vendor, or the lack of oversight of R2R - or a mix of both? It seems like if you name drop a vendor, within minutes the post is removed, but vendors are openly advertising illegally collected and imported corals, without any repercussions. Even after I personally made the administrator of this site aware of it, I just checked, and the link is still alive and well. The only way to get that corrected is to turn both the vendor and R2R into CITES, which could lead to prosecution on both accounts, and tougher restrictions on innocent aquarists and vendors.
Ignorance about wild coral reefs, and a clearly ignoring laws, that are intended to protect both customers and wild reefs, is simply disgraceful, for an industry that relies on mother nature as a major contributor to it's economic future. For aquarium resource websites, to not police their vendors, or have applicable knowledge of easily researched laws, will eventually lead to further regulation of out hobby.
Vendors need to get educated, know what they are selling, share that information with their consumers, and aquarium resource websites, such as R2R need to employ qualified individuals to police the sales activity on their website, to both ensure users are getting a fair deal and also make sure nothing illegal is taking place. Nearly every industry does this exempt for this one. I contract with several marine biologists, both working abroad and in the U.S. to both identify locations where we will accept shipments from, because they have a good environmental approach to collection and offer superior livestock, and also keep Reef Right up to speed on any new laws regarding the import and export of reef life. It's not the cheap way of doing things, as these folks don't work cheap, but it's the right way. When I see vendors selling something illegally, or clearly manipulating coral photos and selling species for insane prices, I just want to puke as it's a slap in the face to the consumer as well as nature.
There also need to be more oversight, on behalf of sites like R2R, making sure that laws and limits that are in place, are actually followed. Right here, on R2R, i've seen illegally collected corals, from CITES no take areas, advertised for sale. Is it the ignorance of the vendor, or the lack of oversight of R2R - or a mix of both? It seems like if you name drop a vendor, within minutes the post is removed, but vendors are openly advertising illegally collected and imported corals, without any repercussions. Even after I personally made the administrator of this site aware of it, I just checked, and the link is still alive and well. The only way to get that corrected is to turn both the vendor and R2R into CITES, which could lead to prosecution on both accounts, and tougher restrictions on innocent aquarists and vendors.
Ignorance about wild coral reefs, and a clearly ignoring laws, that are intended to protect both customers and wild reefs, is simply disgraceful, for an industry that relies on mother nature as a major contributor to it's economic future. For aquarium resource websites, to not police their vendors, or have applicable knowledge of easily researched laws, will eventually lead to further regulation of out hobby.
Vendors need to get educated, know what they are selling, share that information with their consumers, and aquarium resource websites, such as R2R need to employ qualified individuals to police the sales activity on their website, to both ensure users are getting a fair deal and also make sure nothing illegal is taking place. Nearly every industry does this exempt for this one. I contract with several marine biologists, both working abroad and in the U.S. to both identify locations where we will accept shipments from, because they have a good environmental approach to collection and offer superior livestock, and also keep Reef Right up to speed on any new laws regarding the import and export of reef life. It's not the cheap way of doing things, as these folks don't work cheap, but it's the right way. When I see vendors selling something illegally, or clearly manipulating coral photos and selling species for insane prices, I just want to puke as it's a slap in the face to the consumer as well as nature.
