[Coral-List] Selling coral. Funny you should mention it.
Michael Risk
riskmj at univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca
Fri Feb 15 11:45:32 EST 2008
Hello, humbly...
It seems my 25-year-old recollection of Oz legislation was incorrect.
Mea culpa, again...
On a related note, I have talked again with the government guys about
this coral shipment. It turns out that there are HUNDREDS of similar
shipments coming into Toronto each day! This particular importer got
burned on a tip, but there could be many more...
Some depressing lessons here, as though we needed more depressing news:
-this is Toronto. Perhaps 1/100 of 1% of the global market.
-as most importers have some sort of pecies-specific permit, the
species need to be identified in order for a successful prosecution.
-the demands totally swamp the available taxonomic expertise.
We should have been training taxonomists in the 70's and 80's, not
physiologists...
Mike
On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:10:26 -0500
"Michael Risk" <riskmj at univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca> wrote:
> Hello all.
>
> Australia prohibits any and all sale/collection of corals. What the
> guy
> says is total bullcrap (I have learned my lesson.) Now. What to do.
>
> I was contacted yesterday by representatives of the Gov't. of Canada.
> An individual in Toronto licensed to import certain species of
> corals,
> and to raise his own for sale, was suspected of bringing in
> prohibited
> specimens.
>
> All of his corals have been confiscated, and moved to the Toronto Zoo
> (which has salt-water facilities). As soon as the corals are
> identified, this guy will land up in court. He will likely pay a fine
> in the range of several $1,000, which will certainly encourager les
> autres.
>
> In short, it is the responsibility of the animal-protection
> authorities
> in his country of operation to enforce the regulations. It's not up
> to
> us-although someone could certainly blow the whistle on him.
>
> Mike
>
> On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:34:11 -0500
> "Adrienne Carter" <Acarter at coastalplanning.net> wrote:
> >
> > This website is even more some surprising! Below is directly
> from
> > the
> > website, typos and all:
> >
> > "CORAL - This product for the first time, has been given a
> > license
> > from the Australian Government to be exported for sale under
> > strict
> > license, due to the fact that certain areas of the reef
> have
> > been
> > allowed to bring to the surface and sell as ornaments. This
> > unique
> > natural Coral has been harvested under precise, government
> > approved,
> > world class management arrangements. As a healthy resilient
> > ecosystem,
> > the Great Barrier Reef accumulates and extra five million
> > tonnes of
> > new Coral growth every year. Of this growth, a small quota of
> > abundant
> > fast growing Coral of premium quality and limited size
> is
> > hand
> > harvested from specific reef zones. Just as reefs recover
> > after
> > natural events such as cyclones, they also quckly replenish
> > after
> > harvesting. Corals either regenerate from the base or
> > larval
> > settlement and growth of a new colony occurs. Coral
> > harvesting is
> > based on the highest marine science standards. A portion of
> > sales is
> > donated to independant scientific research to ensure that
> > harvesting
> > remains responsive to climate change and causes no detriment
> to
> > the
> > Great Barrier Reef."
> >
>
_________________________________________________________________
> >
> > From: Ed Blume [mailto:edblume at mailbag.com]
> > Sent: Wed 2/13/2008 4:00 PM
> > To: Adrienne Carter; Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Subject: RE: [Coral-List] Selling coral
> >
> > That's one of things I'm asking. What are the legal issues?
> What
> > are
> > the environmental issues? I'm not a coral expert, so maybe
> > it's no
> > big deal that these species are being sold.
> >
> >
> > Ed Blume
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Adrienne Carter [mailto:Acarter at coastalplanning.net]
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 2:41 PM
> > To: Ed Blume
> > Subject: RE: [Coral-List] Selling coral
> >
> >
> >
> > It says on the website -" The Only Licensed UK and
> > European
> > distributer of Coral from the Great Australian Barrier Reef"
> >
> > Is that even legal?
> >
> >
> > Adrienne Carter
> >
> > Marine Scientist
> >
>
______________________________________________________________________
> >
> > From: Ed Blume [mailto:edblume at mailbag.com]
> > Sent: Tue 2/12/2008 11:52 PM
> > To: Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Subject: [Coral-List] Selling coral
> >
> > This site that is selling coral looks
> > disturbing:
> > [1]http://www.steventhornedesign.com/store/catalog/coral
> > What types of coral are pictured? And how bad is it that it's
> > being
> > sold?
> > Ed Blume
> > Volunteer, Centro Ecológico Akumal (www.ceakumal.org)
> > Madison, WI
> >
> > References
> >
> > 1. http://www.steventhornedesign.com/store/catalog/coral
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
> Mike Risk
> Marine Ecologist
> PO Box 1195
> Durham Ontario
> N0G 1R0
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
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Mike Risk
Marine Ecologist
PO Box 1195
Durham Ontario
N0G 1R0
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