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Originally Posted by saltcreep
The two issues are not mutually exclusive. This industry still has an impact on the environment, albeit a much smaller one. The idea is that the reef will have more of a chance for survival if a no take approach is used.
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I totally agree, there are some species of coral that are vanishing from their home ranges because of over-collection, leading collectors to move to harvest specimens from less and less ideal collection sites. Elegance corals are a great example of that. But elegance corals are also an example of how different legislative environments in the countries they come from can lead to completely different levels of sustainability. Compare and contrast Australia with Indonesia, for example. The rub is that the ESA of the United States has no jurisdiction in either of those countries. The only thing it can do is all-out halt the import of a species regardless of whether it comes from a sustainable source. Is that good for the reef? Who knows. The people writing this legislation don't know that, I don't even think they're trying to suggest that it is, as this proposal is almost entirely about climate change. The reefs that these animals live on will most likely continue to decline at the same pace the've been declining for the past 50 years, as the decline in reefs has been global, irrespective of whether or not coral collection happens on those reefs. The key is that for most of the species on the proposed 'red-list', no more is known about them or the status of their wild populations than any other fish/coral/sponge in the sea. Why these species? I suspect they picked them because they were low hanging fruit, and a limited list of the most 'threatened' animals is far more politically palatable than saying 'all reef species must be declared endangered!'
Quote:
Originally Posted by saltcreep
You may be surprised at the level of knowledge of USFW officers at LAX. I'd take you up on that bet. There are a couple of them that can make identifications while corals are still in the bags.
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If we base the future of the US coral trade on whether or not one of the few F&W officers who confidently know the difference between nearly identical acropora species happens to be on shift the day the shipment arrives, the effect on the market will be the same.
Quote:
Originally Posted by saltcreep
Agree 100%. It's all politics and nothing more.
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