Sodium Cyanide

chuckcac

chuckcac

Member

Originally Posted by SCSInet
Any retailer, be it local or online that makes any sort of conclusive statement that they don't do it should be viewed with skepticism.
I'm certainly not saying that all retailers do it, but more to the point they don't have any control over it. You often get lied to because in the eyes of an aquarist who just learned of the practice, to hear a store say they have no way to know is just like hearing... "yah, in fact I have some cyanide under the counter here!"
the only part of what you said that i am skeptical about is that retailers have no cotrol over it... other than that... well said
the reason i tend to disagree is because there are many fish collectors + fish exporters + fish importers + fish wholesalers.... that do belong to the MAC... those entities undergo a series of random testing and certification of the livestock & collection methods in order to be allowed to be MAC certified...
...and if retailers make a clear decision that they will only buy livestock from this 'chain' of companies, and become MAC certified retailers, and carry only MAC certified livestock...they are making themselves part of the solution...
we, as the consumers need to be aware of this. we also need to take some responsibility for the 'chain of events' that gets our livestock from the sea and into our tanks.....
(read this in an "i really care - and only want to help" tone of voice)
i am not willing to throw my hands up and say... "oh well, i really cant controll it, i guess i'll have to live with the fact that the Emperor Angel fish that i want was poisoned - and 9 out of 10 Emeror Angels had to die for me to have this specimen... ok i'll buy it from "joe's poisoned fish-o-rama" anyway cause i really like that fish"
I wont buy those species untill I can find one that has been net caught...
and like EVERY other piece of advice that my LFS gives me.... i dont beleive a word of it untill I research it myself
thanks for listening everybody...
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
The problem with MAC certification is that it drives the price up.... a lot.
The usual way that fish are collected is that the buyers sit on the docks waiting for the villagers to come in with the day's take. They buy, probably with cash, and it goes on from there. In order to introduce a level of control necessary to ensure that collecting is only done in a certain way, costs must go way up, as it usually involves having to own your own boats, collectors, equipment, etc to control every aspect of it all the way down the chain.
These prices are passed on to you. This is one of the reasons that fish caught in the areas where Cyanide is almost never used are so expensive.
Ultimately, it comes down to supply and demand.
Think of it from a LFS owner's perspective. As an LFS owner, you have your regulars that probably do care about the topic, but then you have the masses that bring in most of your money. These are the ones who care about price more than anything else. If you go the route of only offering certified fish, several things happen.
1. Your prices go up.
2. The amount of importers and suppliers you can buy from drops dramatically
3. Your business drops off.
Combine that with the incredibly high overhead that operating a fish store carries and you have a recipie for going out of business. What are you going to tell the ones who know nothing of the subject? All they know is that the fish store down the street has fish at half the price.
I know this because I am on good terms with several LFS owners in my area and they have all told me the same thing. Not ONE LFS store in my area guarantees anything. They all say that it severely cuts the number of suppliers they can buy from, and the ones who do have less fish to offer at much higher prices, and the majority of their customers just don't care about anything other than the prices. Ethics and doing the right thing are a good thing, but it's hard to face going out of business to support it.
Trust me, I'm not suggesting for a second that anyone throw up their hands and give up the fight. I am however suggesting that boycotting stores, insisting on fish that are certified this and guaranteed that, will get you very little of anything but frustration. Ultimately, learning how to spot fish in the stores that have likely been cyanided and avoiding them, and increasing awareness in the hobby for others to do the same is going to be the most effective weapon. Until we make it tough on the people further down the chain from the LFSs to make money, it won't change.
 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
again, i agree...
but like i said in post #5... not with my money...
i am one of those people you speak of that will go out of their way, and pay the extra cost... and like i said in post #5- i know my little 55gallon tank + livestock wont make all that much diffrence... but whe you speak of frustration... i experience frustration when i see this devestation as the current reality... i would (personally) rather go through the trouble of finding those specimens and pay the extra $$$ - just to make that itty bitty tiny miniscule diffrence
i also agree - again -
the information needs to get out there
i really appreciate your responses, and, as usual you've helped me learn more -
and
inadvertntly - there have been over 150 views to this thread.... hopefully we have caught the attention of others who may care....
thanks, SCSInet....
bump for the mods... does SWF at least try?
 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
3rd day... no mods....

i guess i should assume its a touchy subject.... :notsure:
sorry - i hope i do not offend... i just want to do the right thing...
i mean, i recycle, i bought energy star appliances, i bought a compact car (32mpg), compact flourescents in every lamp in my house, recycled RO water for irrigation, i support the National Geographic Society, & the Sierra Club, i plan to build a (very small) wildlife habitat in my back yard, i dont use chemicals on my lawn, i have plans to go solar on my house...
i've got a good thing going, and i feel good about the (little) diffrence that i make in any aspect of my life... i just want to keep it up...
again, thanks for listening everyone
 
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