[Coral-List] [Fwd: Protecting the Coral Reefs]

Charles Delbeek delbeek at waquarium.org
Tue Aug 31 17:25:02 EDT 2004


At 08:36 AM 8/31/2004, you wrote:
>I know that it is illegal for any U.S. store to sell coral that has been
>collected after 1977. However, a lot of stores claim that their coral was
>harvested before tis year, as there is no good way to prove otherwise.  The
>girl in the shop might not have known all the details behind the coral, but
>her manager would. I'd say talk to the manager of the store. If s/he states
>the same thing, then I think NOAA would be the best agency to contact.
>
>cheers!
>
>Kendra

It is NOT illegal to import live corals, they can be imported for sale 
under a CITES permit. The collection of live coral in the Philippines and 
most of the Caribbean is illegal though. Being PetsMart I think the most 
probable explanation is that the sale clerk is misinformed as to where the 
corals came from.

J. Charles Delbeek
Aquarium Biologist
Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI, USA 96815
www.waquarium.org

808-923-9741
808-923-1771 FAX



>Quoting Mike Shelby <Mike.Shelby at noaa.gov>:
>
> > This message came to me via the Ocean Explorer Web site.  If someone
> > more knowledgeable would answer this question I'm sure she would be
> > appreciative.  Please cc me as I would like to know the answer as well.
> > Thank you.
> >
> > -Mike
> >
> > -------- Original Message --------
> > Subject:      Protecting the Coral Reefs
> > Resent-From:  oceanexweb at noaa.gov
> > Date:         Mon, 30 Aug 2004 21:42:41 EDT
> > From:         JARSkipper1 at aol.com
> > To:   oceanexweb at noaa.gov
> >
> >
> >
> > 8/30/04
> >                     anemonies
> > Dear Sir/Maddam:
> >
> > Last Saturday I visited my local Pet Mart store and observed tank after
> > tank of live coral for sale with little sea anemone like creatures
> > moving their little arms about or opening and closing. In the same tanks
> > were tiny shrimp and small star fish. When I asked the clerk told me
> > they got the coral from the Philippines and the Caribbean. Is this
> > legal? They also had dead coral for sale.
> >
> > Isn't there a law against importing live coral for resale? Or for
> > selling it in the United States?
> >
> > The store is the Pet Mart at 9699 Bay Pines Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL
> > 33708 and their main office is at 4941 E. Busch Blvd. in Tampa, FL 33617.
> >
> > Please respond and inform me about what regulatory agency to contact.
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Joyce Runion
> > 1900 Bay Blvd.
> > Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
> >
> > --
> > -=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
> > Mike Shelby                   Mike.Shelby at noaa.gov
> > National Ocean Service/NOAA   http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/
> > 1305 East-West Highway, N/MB62        Communications and Education Division
> > SSMC4, Suite 9167             (301) 713-3060 x127
> > Silver Spring, MD 20910
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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J. Charles Delbeek
Aquarium Biologist
Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI, USA 96815
www.waquarium.org

808-923-9741
808-923-1771 FAX





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