[Coral-List] coral aquaculture

[Charles Delbeek]

   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/