Goniopora vs. Sharks

[bt199966]

Yes I want to start a debate....!
I caught h_ll regarding my purchase and posting about my Flowerpot some time ago, to the point that I promised to post a year later if my flowerpot was still triving. Well the year is right around the corner and , yes it is still just fine. However, if the concern is conservation about a endangered species, well how about the Shark. The Shark has been hunted in massive numbers for many, many years and the shark population has been dramatically reduced. Even so, it is not an endangered species. Maybe there are some kinds that may be, but I hear nothing on this site about people purchasing sharks for their reefs and for it to be a sin. The only thing you hear is about sharks in big, big tanks that stay alive, and if you not have a big tank it most likely will die. But never do I hear anyones concerns regarding the dimishing number of shark in our waters. I for one have seen several flowerpots while snorkeling in the past 20 years, but believe it or not, I have only seen 1 shark in the reefs. Yes I know there are many many more but I would like to hear your opinions regarding the shark situation, is it a sin to purchase them just like the flowerpot?

 

[tonka]

I agree that both should not be caught. And only being on here since March of this year, I have heard Sharks(BB) tell people not to purchase sharks for tanks. Also you can't compare one snorkling trip to what's out there. I dive about 40 or more days a year,and have not seen any Goniopora at all. And there's allot of sharks around reefs.(Blacktips,whitetips,nurse,tiger,horn,leapord) Still I can't say just because of my dive trips, that one is more abundant than the other. I don't agree with the "sharkfin soup" fishermen. That's a waste.

 

[burnnspy]

I agree with not allowing the selling of either species. Your 1 year success is by not means an achievement, that is still below the shortened reef tank life span of Goniporas. When you exceed 3 yrs then you have something special going.
BurnNSpy

 

[bt199966]

Originally posted by Tonka:
<STRONG>Also you can't compare one snorkling trip to what's out there.
</STRONG>
Living on the beach for 19 years, and snorkeling approx 2-3 days a week for 19 years I would not call it a snokeling trip. The most abundant areas of the subject corals are in the mangroves. And yes in 19 years I only saw 1 shark.
Originally posted by Tonka:
<STRONG>Burnspy, you also stated "Your 1 year success is by not means an achievement, that is still below the shortened reef tank life span of Goniporas. When you exceed 3 yrs then you have something special going".</STRONG>
I now understand a year is not what you would call a success, but what's funny is that a year ago I was told that 8 months was tops. But now if is three years is when I have something going. Wow, I wonder what people will tell me in three years, if it is still alive..... I guess then they will say that I am just lucky or lying....
Anyways, it was just my thoughts....
[ April 18, 2001: Message edited by: bt199966 ]

 

[tonka]

Sorry,I misread the snorkling part. Where did you see the Gonipora species?