Hurricane fallout and blessing?

[Dearth]

This topic actually has been talked about quite a bit on Reef2Reef and RC but the hurricanes in the Caribbean appear to be both a blessing and curse as reef damage is expected to be substantial in many regions and with the possibility of power loss and tourism possibly slowing down in the coming months due to damage and rebuilding the SW aquarium trade in Florida and island states is expected to take a huge blow.

This is both good and bad news as on the plus side this gives time depleted areas to rebuild and stocks to rebuild as the legalized trade will be severely curtailed as many importers and exporters in the SW hobby are based in Florida. New reefs will be built and existing reefs should be able to somewhat recover from decreased tourism at least in the short term.

The bad side is illegal harvesting is expected to rise significantly to quell the need of some stores and hobbyists need for livestock and coral. Also coral and fish that are natives of Florida and Caribbean are expected to have their prices increased in the short term making them sought after in a limited market which is surmised to give rise to illegal harvesting.

What are your thoughts on this?
Do you think the above will happen?
Are people causing concern over nothing?

[Brunz]

I'm more than willing to bet this will be a problem, if there is one thing that never ceases in human nature it is to exploit other people's misery for their own gains.

Just trying to legitimize the coral/marine trade has been a struggle that will continue for years to come. Now there is a giant hole that exists, vacuum as it were, that I am more than willing people will rush to fill by any dubious methods necessary. My hope is that it isn't too long for legitimate trade and business to reestablish itself and thrive

[Myka]

It's not much different than any other hurricane season. These hurricanes are a bit worse than typical. I don't think any unusually significant impact will be noted.