[Coral-List] coral aquaculture
Charles Delbeek
delbeek at waquarium.org
Sun Mar 2 17:04:37 EST 2008
Juan Federico Urich wrote:
I have not followed all the discussion on aquacultured corals and the
Chop-shop concept with which I dont agree for the same reason that Dan
Janzen (UPENN) ones exposed on pricing a scenery. On the other hand whats
the problem on using Tom Goreau's method of growing coral and harvest them.
After all even if Electrolisis reared corals turned out to be
"different" and perhaps in a worst case scenario they die or bleach sooner.
So what? you go to the pet shop and by another one. Isnt that the markets
rationale. Who nowaday buys a non artificially reared Angel fish from the
Amazon Basin?. I agree with the idea that coral reef aquariums increase
awareness on the need for reef preservation but if somebody is interested
in making a profit out of this need. First go and do the homework: figure
out how to rear them artificially and support the research needed to make it
an accepted good business.
Regards
Juan F Urich
Laboratorio de Biologia Teórica
Instituto de Zoología Tropical
Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Central de Venezuela
Apartado 47058,Caracas 1041A
email: [1]juanurich at gmail.com
I think part of the problem here is that everyone seems to treat
"corals" as a single entity. In reality, some corals lend themselves
very well to asexual propagation and regrow with astounding speed
(e.g. Acropora spp.) while others do not (e.g. Euphyllia). So some
corals may be sustainably collected and others less so. Some corals
are easily asexually propagated in numbers sufficient to meet demand,
others can not and these should pursued by sexual means e.g.
Trachyphyllia, Euphyllia, Catalaphyllia. As I have mentioned before,
the trade data shows which corals make up the majority of live coral
exports and its not wild collected Acropora.
In my opinion, I think it is inaccurate to treat all corals as one
entity when it comes to debating "sustainability".
For all those who have yet to experience the coral trade, who have yet
to see live corals thriving in captivity, and have yet to witness the
amount of propagation of live corals occurring in the marine aquarium
hobby/industry I invite you at attend the 20th Marine Aquarium
Conference of North America this September in Atlanta, GA
[2]http://www.macnaxx.com/
Aloha!
Charles
References
1. mailto:juanurich at gmail.com
2. http://www.macnaxx.com/
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