[Coral-List] Coral Fragging should be banned

Fri Apr 12 23:25:06 UTC 2019

If you have data that quantifies your knowledge of this alleged problem.
please share

I'd like to know how many people you think are taking theses courses.

How much more likely are they to engage in coral fragging activities after
taking the courses than they would have before taking the course?

What is the background/interests of the clientele?

Do they have some economic interest in the fragging activities?

Just something more a focused vacation activity and probably will never do
it again?

Are the educated?  Just a bunch of clueless tourist with no idea what they
are doing?

Do they think they are doing something helpful for the environment?

Are they more likely to care about the bigger picture cause of preventing
climate change because they learned something about the beauty of nature
and that it is worth saving after doing the activity?

Are they parents taking their family because they know  20 years from now,
it might not be there to experience?

What percentage of the areas these activities are taken place in will even
have living coral 10 years now?

In the absence of doing the fragging certification, what is the nature of
any damage that would have been done by the same group in the same waters?

Well, that seems like just a bunch of questions but I must say,
any opinion if expressed here within is not that of any past/present/future
employer of mine.

A lot goes on in this list with respect to scientific data and analysis
resulting in publications.

So, whenever you can quantify in some fashion your audience will be able to
better relate.

My suggestion is to create  zones where such  activities are allowed to
occur.
perhaps some sort of online permitting required, so data can be acquired on
frequency of the activity.
Then to don't have to fight any outright ban battle.

The zone can be very small, or chosen to be in locations that are perceived
as less desirable
so if the activity is damaging its minimized in some sense.

Create a nice self-perpetuating bureaucracy with rules to follow and has
fines that can be assessed?

Wishing you a number of happy thoughts and I hope you day isn't worse than
mine.
Matt Nolan

On Fri, Apr 12, 2019 at 1:55 PM Chad Scott via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> Hello Nicole,
> Thank you for your reply. I have not heard of any such sites, but I think
> that the industry must makes moves to self-regulate and prevent more groups
> from doing this types of work. As far as I can tell, Oceanquest is the
> worst one in my area, and they are backed by Sea Shepard so they think they
> are the best, however they do absolutely no monitoring and have no
> peer-reviewed publications on their results. Their only claim to notoriety
> is their association with Sea Shepherd. They also offer a 3 day course for
> people to become instructors in coral propagation, which I thin is
> laughable when people spend the better part of a decade getting PhD. in the
> field before beginning such endeavors.
> Chad Scott
>
>
>
> <
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Heaven-Reef-Conservation-Program/263941566997083
> >
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 11, 2019 at 2:41 PM Nicole Crane <nicrane at cabrillo.edu> wrote:
>
> > I very much appreciate and agree with this Chad.  I think this is
> actually
> > a bigger problem than many of us might realize.  Our work has shown
> > negative effects, especially on fish - which of course is important to
> the
> > communities there, of 'weedy' corals that dominate a reef.  By
> propagating
> > corals, especially those that grow quickly, well meaning people may well
> be
> > causing problems.  Kind of like Junipero Serra spreading all his fast
> > growing weedy european grasses and plants to mark his trail and fed
> > livestock.  Wow, look what that did to California coastal communities!!!
> If
> > you aren't a CA person - the short story is it wasn't good.
> >
> > I too have now seen several of these programs to propagate corals, and
> the
> > idea seems to be spreading, especially marketed as a restoration program.
> > Might be good to have a platform where people could add programs they are
> > rare of and what region they are in??  Given that these people are well
> > intentioned, pairing these with better information might be very
> effective?
> > Does anyone have the bandwidth to do that?
> >
> > best
> > Nicole
> >
> > Nicole L. Crane
> > Faculty, Cabrillo College
> > Natural and Applied Sciences
> > www.cabrillo.edu/~ncrane <http://www.cabrillo.edu/%7Encrane>
> >
> > Senior Conservation Scientist, Project co-lead
> > One People One Reef
> > onepeopleonereef.ucsc.edu
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Apr 11, 2019 at 10:43 AM Chad Scott via Coral-List <
> > coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> >
> >>  Hello coral-listers,
> >> I am growing concerned about the number of so-called reef conservation
> >> programs that are focused solely on coral fragging (propagation),
> >> especially in SE Asia and the Indo-Pacific. These programs are well
> >> intentioned, but extremely misguided. In one such prominent  program,
> >> people are able to become 'Instructors' in just three days, with no
> >> scientific traing. This agency does no monitoring or research, and as
> far
> >> as I can tell has never published a peer reviewed paper. They are
> focused
> >> on coral propagation because it is easy and looks good on social media,
> >> yet
> >> they do not have any understanding or consideration to the genetic
> affects
> >> of their work, nor its long-term implications. They are not involved in
> >> any
> >> other activities to address the threats (other than clean-ups maybe),
> and
> >> have not made any attempt to work with the local communities.
> >> I have written an article concerning this growing trend, and would like
> to
> >> hear the response of the scientific community. I know that many of you
> >> have
> >> been involved in related work for several decades, and think you are
> vital
> >> in resolving this issue. I fear that if the reef restoration community
> >> does
> >> not take proactive steps to self-regulate then draconian top-down
> controls
> >> will be implemented, and the vital work of so many will be stopped.
> >> Thank you,
> >> Chad Scott
> >>
> >> My arguments are summarized in the article is available here:
> >> http://conservationdiver.com/coral-fragging-should-be-banned/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> <
> >>
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Heaven-Reef-Conservation-Program/263941566997083
> >> >
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Coral-List mailing list
> >> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >> https://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> >>
> >
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