Why hobby gets bad rap.

[chefjpaul]

This stuff drives me nuts[emoji34]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5...cid=newsltushpmgnews__TheMorningEmail__090917

 

[Crabs McJones]

Unbelieveable!
I can't imagine how one even gets their hands on a hammerhead shark.
The poor animals :( At least the ones that lived are being cared for now :)

 

[CodyRVA]

Ludicrous for anyone to read this article and relate it in any way shape or form to this hobby.

 

[chefjpaul]

Ludicrous for anyone to read this article and relate it in any way shape or form to this hobby.

Why?
Any harm to any marine animal like this almost always comes back to the hobby or food industry.

This was hobby related as the guys was selling them. These people need to be severely prosecuted

 

[CodyRVA]

Why?
Any harm to any marine animal like this almost always comes back to the hobby or food industry.

This was hobby related as the guys was selling them. These people need to be severely prosecuted

This is not hobby related, period. Would you classify those who hold "chicken" fights the same as chicken farmers? What about those who fight pitbulls, would you call them loving dog owners? Of course you wouldn't, with that being said; will someone try and draw some false conclusion linking this hobby to this wacko selling sharks in his basement, yep probably, but that doesn't mean there's any validity to the argument.

And yea I agree they should be prosecuted, that goes without saying, but that's not my argument.

 

[chefjpaul]

"Being sold as exotic pets".

If people are keeping them in a tank for anything but food, then what is it?

 

[CodyRVA]

"Being sold as exotic pets". If people are keeping them in a tank for anything but food, then what is it

To be clear... you're willingly grouping yourself, as a hobbyist, into the same bucket as these people in this article? If that be the case, I'm not sure how you can maintain your engagement in this hobby as you've clearly stated....

This stuff drives me nuts[emoji34]

To each their own, however, I hold myself, as a hobbyist in the reefing community, to a higher standard. I refuse to accept someone else's (huff post) falsified opinion as my own reality; doing so would stain my personal reputation and the integrity of the very hobby we're engaged.

 

[chefjpaul]

To be clear... you're willingly grouping yourself, as a hobbyist, into the same bucket as these people in this article? If that be the case, I'm not sure how you can maintain your engagement in this hobby as you've clearly stated....



To each their own, however, I hold myself, as a hobbyist in the reefing community, to a higher standard. I refuse to accept someone else's (huff post) falsified opinion as my own reality; doing so would stain my personal reputation and the integrity of the very hobby we're engaged.

To be clear, you totaly missed the point.

I don't group any of us in that category, but many do, as was the point.
Look at the Hawaii ban.
Many more outside will and do every time this happens.

To be clear again,
Keeping exotic pets, any in a box is classically considered "hobby",
I am perfectly aware of right and wrong regarding reality. I didn't and don't group
Us in the same, but it is reality.

Look, people are actually buying, smuggling and selling these animals claiming to be hobbyist, just because we don't consent doesn't mean its a false reality.

I totally see where you are coming from, but I look at things from more than one angle. Think of bird keepers feel when people get caught with an eagle.

Hobbyist or not, if it doesn't bother you, well sorry.

 

[CodyRVA]

To be clear, you totaly missed the point.

I don't group any of us in that category, but many do, as was the point.
Look at the Hawaii ban.
Many more outside will and do every time this happens.

To be clear again,
Keeping exotic pets, any in a box is classically considered "hobby",
I am perfectly aware of right and wrong regarding reality. I didn't and don't group
Us in the same, but it is reality.

Look, people are actually buying, smuggling and selling these animals claiming to be hobbyist, just because we don't consent doesn't mean its a false reality.

I totally see where you are coming from, but I look at things from more than one angle. Think of bird keepers feel when people get caught with an eagle.

Hobbyist or not, if it doesn't bother you, well sorry.

I understand what you're saying. Essentially, there are people that will read/see this article and will naturally give this hobby a bad rap because of these peoples poor decisions (painting a bad picture). This is what I mean in regards to a false reality. Yes, totally plausible for someone to draw that conclusion, but it's the wrong/false conclusion.

"Being sold as exotic pets". If people are keeping them in a tank for anything but food, then what is it?

As such, we shouldn't encourage this link; we should vehemently denounce this type of behavior and show the vast degree of difference between what those people were caught doing and what we do here at reef2reef. This is a community built around the love and intrigue of coral reefs; not how one can exploit it purely for profit.

Yep, there are many angles to most debates, this one is no exception to the rule. Whether the article is bothersome or wrong was never apart of the debate or argument.

 

[reefwiser]

Someone who wants to keep sharks is not the same person who keeps reef aquariums. Its a person who has this thing about keeping an animal that hunts for its survival. Just like big Game hunters have this thing for killing Lions or tigers.

 

[chefjpaul]

As such, we shouldn't encourage this link; we should vehemently denounce this type of behavior and show the vast degree of difference between what those people were caught doing and what we do here at reef2reef. This is a community built around the love and intrigue of coral reefs; not how one can exploit it purely for profit.

Yep, there are many angles to most debates, this one is no exception to the rule. Whether the article is bothersome or wrong was never apart of the debate or argument.

I totally agree 100%
I posted for a discussion, not mainly as a true comparison from our view, but out side view, and how disturbing this is, any animal for that matter that should not be kept in captivity.

My wife and I are very involved with many wild life conservation groups, my wife's passion is mainly is involved with shark foundations and research, so these issues hit our home pretty hard. (maybe I should've started off with something like hobby or not)

 

[Greybeard]

I'm just guessing, but I'd say there are probably folks on here who have a shark, or wanted one, anyway. Some will be mis-informed, impulse buyer types, that picked up a baby carpet or bamboo shark, and tossed it into a far too small tank. Some will be serious hobbyists, who do the research, select appropriate animals, and house them in appropriate sized tanks. Most of those last will be members over at Shark and Ray Central, as am I :) No, I don't keep sharks, but I've seriously considered it, and done a good bit of research into the matter.

Nothing wrong with keeping sharks. Provided, of course, you select appropriate animals... Endangered animals would certainly _not_ be appropriate! Hammerhead... A scalloped hammerhead can reach an adult size of what, 11 feet? SharkRayCentral suggests 300,000 gallons minimum. Not likely something you'd keep successfully in your basement.

A Coral Catshark, on the other hand, very common, easy to keep (even breed in captivity fairly regularly) with an adult size of 24-28", perhaps 2.5 lbs. A small group would be fairly happy in a 300 or 400 gallon tank. Huh... it'd be far less expensive to set up a species appropriate system for a pair of catsharks than it would to set up a reef of similar size :) Heck, LiveAquaria even shows a couple different species of cat sharks at reasonable prices.

Not trying to justify this idiot... hammerhead in a kiddie pool. I've seen people eviscerated on here for keeping a yellow tang in a 50 gallon aquarium :)

 

[chefjpaul]

Someone who wants to keep sharks is not the same person who keeps reef aquariums. Its a person who has this thing about keeping an animal that hunts for its survival. Just like big Game hunters have this thing for killing Lions or tigers.

I again agree 100%!
(see above)
My point was they are still put in our category, Like @CoryRVA said, we as hobbyist need to really work on changing that public perspective.
Look at that TV show tankd, I mean I saw an episode where Tracy Morgan had an octopus tank or something and they built him a giant shark tank. This is the stuff I am trying to refer, the grouping.

 

[chefjpaul]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/man-convicted-of-smuggling-1mil-worth-of-illegal-live-coral