Hello Dwight,
I'm going to use your post to make a few points, hope you don't mind.
All saltwater aquarium fish are caught legally.
Psssst........(opens black trenchcoat filled with plastic bags)hey I've got
3 yellow tangs, 2 angels, and a puffer. wanna buy?
( I couldn't resist sharing my mental image)
If you are referring to drug free fish and cyanide use, no store ANYWHERE can guarantee their fish are ALL ethically and net caught.
Some export regions are better than others, and some species less prone to drug techniques for capture. If you want more info
http://www.aquariumcouncil.org
Unfortunately, there are NO MAC certified retail stores in Western Canada.
They can buy MAC certified fish, but they are not MAC certified.
I'd also recommend you Google MAC certification so you can see both sides of the story. Prepare for LOTS of reading this is a HUGE debate.
I think the ideal that MAC Certification presents is what we all want (including wholesalers/Exporters/Stores), but what they have actually done in the industry falls short.
If they could actually deliver on their promises, then I believe more Retail stores, Wholesalers, and exporters would sign up.
Beyond drug use, livestock handling is also very important for ensuring a healthy arrival of fish to your local store. As has been said many many times before.
1 - Educate Yourself -do you actually have the resources, knowledge and equipment to care for the desired animal. Too many times people display terrible husbandry skills and blame their livestock deaths on "cyanide" or the fish store. If it dies in your tank.....It's your fault period. Take responsibility and learn from your actions.
2- Vote with your $$$$ If you continue to buy from stores that don't take care of their animals properly, you are casting a vote that says yes it's okay to mistreat them. If your argument is that the fish was cheaper there. Then you are part of the problem. Your vote says I want low prices and I don't care about quality.
3- Communicate
Voice your opinion. Tell your local store what you want. They will listen if you approach them in a respectable manner, and back up your opinion with purchases.
People say they want a store that has knowledgeable staff, clean tanks with healthy fish/corals and inverts and fair prices.
What they say with their money is they want the cheapest price no matter the quality service or animal quality/care.
Consumer pressure forces stores to continually cut prices to meet market demands. It has to be cut from somewhere. Knowledgeable staff, Livestock care, product selection, quarantine, and store displays.
Ever thought that lower fish prices means quicker turnover, which means less risk to the store? The sooner they get it into your tank the better. If it dies there you buy another one.
Anyways sorry to Highjack Dwight, the point is you can find good and bad fish at all stores. Even the best store can get poor quality/damaged/stressed fish, it's how they care for them after that, that makes the difference. Hope you find the items you are looking for.