An open statement concerning the coral reef aquarium hobby and it's impact on the environment:
The reef aquarium hobby has received a veritable ton of bad press by various environmental groups -- proving solely that those who have slung mud in our direction are incapable of performing even minimal research. The hobby is actively engaged in captive propagation of those animals we keep, be they vertebrate or invertebrate. Many animals which are increasingly rare in the wild are being propagated large-scale in captivity. The giant clams (tridacna spp.) are being commercially produced, as are the queen conch -- both having been brought to near extinction by the curio shell trade. What's more, the same commercial operations breeding these animals in captivity also release their captive bred animals into the wild, in the hopes of restocking these beautiful creatures populations in nature. The number of tropical marine organisms being captive reared is quite high, and is increasing on a daily basis.
While the majority of animals in hobbyists tanks are still wild-caught, this is changing rapidly. It can also rightly be pointed out that the number of organisms removed from the ocean for the hobby's use amount to less then 1% of the total needlessly destroyed by commercial food fishing operations.
In the 1960's and 1970's it was common for collectors in third world nations to use non-ecofriendly methods of capturing aquarium fish (cyanide being one of them). By the 1980's however great pressure was being brought to bear on these collectors to switch over to less destructive capture methods. Today, with the exception of the Phillipines, almost every nation has moved past the use of cyanide -- and in the Phillipines, cyanide is still often used even for the capture of food fish. Almost every animal in the hobby today is hand or net caught, and this is due solely to efforts by the hobby to change matters.
The hobby has also taken a lot of negative press about the use of "Live Rock" (basically small rocks encrusted with reef organisms). It is worth noting that over 90% of the rock used in the hobby for this purpose is rubble, removed from the reef by storm activity. This rubble, now removed from the near environs of the reef, will soon have all the life on it choked out in the wild. The removal of this rock from the ocean by the hobby has, effectively, zero impact on the reef; yet it is still held above our heads as proof of our eco-unfriendly activities. No mention is ever made of, say, the fact that in Florida construction companies still break up reefs to use the coral skeletons as a building material. After all, the reef aquarium hobby is a much easier target.
Additionally, Live Rock is now being aquacultured as well. Commercial operations have leased land grants on the sea floor in Florida and Hawaii, to which they bring several tons of dry rock every year. A few years are allowed to pass, after which the rock is removed fully-colonized and sold. While the use of "wild" Live Rock has next to no environmental impact whatsoever, it's important to realize that even so the hobby goes to these lengths to improve itself.
Now, having addressed the accusations concerning the "harm" the reef aquarium hobby causes, I'd like to briefly mention it's primary benefit. The reef aquarium hobby raises awareness, both that of those who keep these set-ups and those who come into contact with them. The incredibly beneficial increase in public perception and knowledge of both the beauty of the coral reefs and the problems they face is invaluable. Further, the degree of knowledge it takes to successfully maintain most tropical marine invertebrates in captivity is considerable; knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics and spectrometry are all required ingrediants. The reef aquarium is in all ways a learning experience.
If you'd like further information about any of my statements, including documented specifics and contact information for many of the individuals, organizations and foundations directly involved in the hobby, please feel free to email me with your concerns. If, on the other hand, you have maintained a closed mind and haven't even considered a word I've written then don't bother to send me your hate mail -- I assure you I will delete it unread.
-- Charles J DeVito
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