Interesting info about collecting, and regulation

[greybolt03]

Are Aquariums Getting Too Lifelike?

Todd Heisler/The New York Times
CLEANUP Joseph Yaiullo of Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, N.Y., cleaning the aquarium’s 20,000-gallon coral reef tank. He also uses sea urchins to scavenge the tank and help rid it of algae.







On the reefs in the Florida Keys, plenty of snorkelers and scuba divers take in the sights, and others fish with spear guns for sport. But a small third group collects blue-legged hermit crabs, peppermint shrimp and other invertebrates, not for food or fun, but for the aquarium trade.


There are an estimated 700,000 saltwater home aquariums in the United States, and tropical fish with a bit of rock and a plastic Diver Dan are no longer enough to satisfy the keepers of many of these miniature oceans.

Read the whole article here:


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/sc...&ref=aquariums

 

[ThatGuy]

The article is gone.

 

[greybolt03]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/science/23aquarium.html?_r=1&ref=aquariums

This is the direct link it should work

 

[ThatGuy]

Good article.

 

[TanksNStuff]

I agree, good article. It seems to me that they regulating the amount of inverts that can be collected, and it sounds like they adapt the numbers allowed yearly based on studies of population in the oceans.

While I'm glad that people are asking questions and are concerned about the increased demand for inverts... I think it's not really a concern based on the small percentage being collected.

 

[grink]

Just got back from the keys diving. Such a great diversity of fish, corals and inverts. The sanctuary provides a list of what can be collected and you must pay for a license to collect. As we were flying we did not collect anything. Nonetheless, such a beautiful reef!