10 Charged for Illegally Trafficking Corals from the Philippines

[TORX]

Here we go again. It has been a while but another big reef related bust. Some are known coral resellers like Savage Reefer and Sticks n Stones from what I read.

10 Charged for Illegally Trafficking Corals from the Philippines

www.justice.gov

 

[Sasha T]

Would it be fair to say that some of the restrictions regarding the export of coral from licensed sustainable coral collection are because it's so hard to track the impact of people harvesting whatever, from wherever they want like those listed here?

 

[TORX]

Would it be fair to say that some of the restrictions regarding the export of coral from licensed sustainable coral collection are because it's so hard to track the impact of people harvesting whatever, from wherever they want like those listed here?

I think that is a bit of a loaded question and one that is based on perspective. There are lots of studies that show the impact of people harvesting but you are correct, it is hard to track what is being harvested and from where hence the blanket bans on coral exports. In this case they are being accused with the actual planning of exporting illegal corals. Basically they knew what they were doing was illegal and still planning it anyways. The people in that article knew what they were doing was illegal, they arent tourists who thought it would be nice in their personal tanks.

 

[Sasha T]

I think that is a bit of a loaded question and one that is based on perspective. There are lots of studies that show the impact of people harvesting but you are correct, it is hard to track what is being harvested and from where hence the blanket bans on coral exports. In this case they are being accused with the actual planning of exporting illegal corals. Basically they knew what they were doing was illegal and still planning it anyways. The people in that article knew what they were doing was illegal, they arent tourists who thought it would be nice in their personal tanks.

I didn't have tourists in mind, to be honest. You made a more thorough description of the people I had in mind and was alluding to, those who don't think that the protection of species or tracts of reef should prevent them from harvesting, or choose to do so "on the sly" for their personal financial benefit.

Spoiler: Slight tangent question

On a somewhat related note (in terms of a sustainable supply of coral to the hobby) I've been watching a lot of CoralFish12G aquarium tours which leads me to ask, have public aquariums ever sold frags from their colonies? Admittedly the only major saltwater aquarium I know of in SW Ontario is the Ripleys aquarium in Toronto, but I am curious.