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thincat

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Nov 7, 2008
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Here we go again. Snorkel Bob wants the end of all saltwaster Aquariums and has wriiten a new book entiltled Mr G tear down this Aquarium. what do you think his chances are and are you willing to wright Congress to stop him.
 
I honestly don't think he has a chance, though I do agree that there should be more restriction on the collection and distribution of SW fish. It would initially raise prices yes, but it would also push for more research and development into captive bred programs.

I don't think any major agency really cares about fish rights, its more up to individual states/regions/areas to come up with their own limits and restrictions.


Or we could start dumping chum on people outside stores.:rolleyes:
 
Yep and I'll spell check too! :p

Seriously, thanks for highlighting this. The hobby is under attack from more fronts and is at greater risk than I think most folks realize.
 
Snorkel Bob, is that an inferior Sponge Bob? I wonder if he likes Girl Scout Cookies or other Palm Oil fortified products... :p There is very little regulation on fish, invertebrates, plants, etc. and it would be interesting to see how it could be regulated other than the obvious "catch laws." Of course, imo he would also be fighting against the entire commercial fishing industry, which is what he has waged war, of words, against.
 
Somebody tried to do something like this a couple years a go. Although I do agree with jimbo it would be nice if they're were more breeding programs for saltwater fish
 
The problem I see with people like "Snorkel Bob" is they see a forest fire, and try to ban matches, when most fires are started by lightning.

There are forces at work that could destroy the worlds coral reefs within 40-100 years that has nothing to do with aquariums. It's possible in 100 years corals will be limited to aquariums, and will be extinct in the wild.

Aquarists make a convenient scapegoat and punching bag.

If they talked more about supporting more captive raised research, supporting sustainable harvests, supporting anything I would be more receptive to his ideas. But it seems all about limiting and attacking the aquarium industry, not supporting it in a constructive way.
 
Okay, Bob has made headway on Maui and has stopped the collection o Yellow tang and morish idals there. He keeps on chipping away at the mass and pretty soon there are no fish left. Now We don't want to wipe out any group of fishes we so want to have access to them that are not challengeed.
 
I recently read an article where scientists/marine biologists are colecting corals to kept in captivity for that "just in case" time when they are needed to seed destroyed reefs. This has already been done in some areas where coral bleaching has occured.
The article also stated they believed they would get more variety from home aquarists who are captive raising corals.
 
Ok someone want to link me to this guys info. I have not heard much about it really. I have to agree with other. There are far greater threats to the natural reefs then hobbiests.
 
The Snorkel Bob Foundation | HOME

That's what I could find. I assume this is what the fuss is over.

Ok, read the page. I'm not stressing over him. He needs to do some research and I get the dig on spell check. Ironic that he has a business selling snorkel gear and includes trips where he feeds sharks. I will not be writing my congressman about this guy. I agree with removing gill nets so kudos for him. I think the industry should be regulated more heavily.

Cmor, the article you are talking about is that the one where the government has "frozen" corals from around the globe for reintroduction for the "just-in-case" something happens?
 
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It's not the worst thing that he has gotten yellow tangs and the moors banned. I read some figure that 200,000 yellow tangs are collected a year for aquariums. And when was the last time you heard of a successful moorish idol being kept long term? It should be harder to purchase some of the animals we do, based purely on the fact that so many ignorant people can walk into a store and scoop up 3 tangs and plop them in a 5g and what do you know, they all die.

Agreed this guy is going about this all the wrong way and to a bit of an extreme, but i do think more attention needs to be paid to what is going on out there.
 
It almost sounds like there should be licenses that are required for buying and/or selling maine aquarium livestock. That could help cut down on idiocy if education is required prior. It would also deter a lot of people away from the hobby, so that may not work... Heck, I'm just thinking out of my butt here, lol.
 
Collectors of wild caught fish have to have a license. Even shop owners have to have a license to operate. It's "cowboy" collectors that are giving this hobby a bad name. "Sponge Bob"... I like that wants the fish all to himself and because he is Big" so he says can tell everybody else what they should or not do.
Amen
 
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It is still collected on other islands. It is banded on Maui.
 
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