Fish Harvesting Techniques

[marcandkelly]

My tank is finishing up its cycling process and I am now starting look at fish. I have a 46g w/50lbs LS and 5lbs LR. I am not very happy with either of my LFSs so I am starting to look online. With that said, does anybody know how the fish on many of these sites, including this one, are harvested (other than the tank raised)or the best way to get this information? I am trying to avoid companies that use more destructive techniques (cyanide, explosives, etc).

 

[davidcanupp]

You may have a hard time getting a reliable answer out of many fish stores, both online and local. But I think what you are doing is important and you may find it helpful to visit <a href="http://www.noaa.gov," target="_blank">www.noaa.gov,</a> or <a href="http://www.coralreef.gov," target="_blank">www.coralreef.gov,</a> the official website of the coral reef task force. I don't know if they have information on the techniques of the specific vendors, but they can tell you what fish are collected illegally, where those practices take place most often, and possibly who is involved in those types of collections. Let me know if you have any luck, and as a concerned fish keeper, I applaud your efforts
David.
David

 

[marcandkelly]

I found that there is a voluntary council out there, Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) whose members distribute only "clean" fish, coral, liverock, etc. They can be found at <a href="http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/" target="_blank">http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/</a> . In a nut shell "clean" means that livestock is uptained in a sustainable manner and the wholesalers - distributors keep the captured fish in healthy holding tanks. From my novice perspective, it seems well supported. It is certainly something to ask about before making a purchase.
On a side note: <a href="http://www.coralreef.gov" target="_blank">www.coralreef.gov</a> should be <a href="http://www.coralreef.org" target="_blank">www.coralreef.org</a>