Make Your Voice Heard!  1/10/08
I just took action on an issue that I consider very important. I urge you to take action yourself and spread the word! To take action on this issue, click on the link below: https://secure2.convio.net/toc/site/Advocacy?s_oo=3TbD25rqaVhln_jfHPBsWw..&id=413
 If the text above does not appear as a link or it wraps across multiple  lines, then copy and paste it into the address area of your browser.
<Hey Dan! I see you support the concept of marine parks... would like to chat at length with you, even get your input re the appropriateness (interest level mainly) of making petfish hobbyist pitches/presentations re this and related issues... My advanced degree is in fisheries... and have had several interesting conversations over the years with folks... re what is MSY, OSY... maximum and optimum sustainable yields... are exclusion zones really such a great idea? Maybe... sometimes... Cheers, Bob Fenner.>

Charitable Organization(s)?    12/9/06
Dear Crew-
<Matt>
First, thanks for maintaining such a wonderfully informative site, it's extremely helpful for all of us wannabe aquarists.  
<A pleasure, destiny>
Now for my question: Like many of your readers, between my aquarium hobby and scuba diving, I've definitely got a love of the ocean and its inhabitants, and particular for the coral reefs of the world.  For me, this is the time of the year where I make a few charitable contributions to organizations "doing good" in various areas.  Do you have any ideas or thoughts about specific charitable organizations that you believe are doing a good job protecting the reefs and their inhabitants?
<Of the few hundred of these I have run across... none that are really "steady on" in their progress, use of funds... Really, in all honesty, many of the folks "in the trade" of ornamental aquatics have done, do more "good" for the environment and just as importantly, indigenous human populations than NGO's, and gov't organizations... Some notable outfits are outright scams... My most serious example here, the so-called MAC...>
  I have given to the Ocean Conservancy in the past, but am not sure if there are others you'd recommend.  Any thoughts you have would be appreciated, I'm sure you're closer to these groups than I am currently.
Thanks again for your terrific website.
-Matt
<In my experience there has been so much transiency (of personnel, activities/programs) of this class of groups that none to my awareness "deserve" note... However, I am just one person... And am hopeful that others will "chime in" here with their take on this issue. In the meanwhile, and nonetheless, I strongly encourage that all be/come "good consumers", investigate their purchases and "vote" with their money for good practices, products, livestock... This is the way to improve situations. Bob Fenner>

ReefStewards 7/7/05
Hey Anthony and Bob,
<Yo!>
I don't know if Jim already emailed you guys, but we thought you would be interested in our new website
Www.ReefStewards.org
<Neat>
We are thinking of going NPO and this is our first step. Any thoughts would be eagerly eaten up!
<How much time do you have? Patience?>
Also - I can't find the log in info for WWM, and I would like to try answering some queries. Could you send me the info again, as well as any formatting guidelines that may have changed?
<Mmm, URL:
email addr:
password: >
Hope all is well with the both of you,
<Mighty fine here. BobF>
Rich Ross

Thanks for the book and can you help
Dear Mr. Fenner,
<Mr. Forrest>
Did I make it past your Spam filter?
<Heee, not mine... Billy G's... Hotmail>
I have spent the past few weeks engrossed in your book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist." Firstly thank you for taking the time to write it. It must have been quite an undertaking. I consider myself a successful marine aquarist insofar as I have a low mortality rate and everyone in my tank seems happy. I spend way too much time fussing about water quality even after it has been a significant passage if time since I had problems. I still think this is high in importance right up there with livestock selection and the number of livestock in a tank. Without the latter being focused on I feel the former to be irrelevant in a small system.
<I agree>
Anyway I am writing to you with a great deal of concern. I am an Australian who is an American resident but currently living in Singapore. So I have seen a wide variety of aquarists circles. The seems to be a lot of conscientious people here but to a point only. Most if not all here accept that the only way of effective collection is with sodium cyanide so you can imagine the mortality rate at the stockists. The laws here are not environmentally sound. A stockist who imports must have a separate quarantine room before they can be eligible for a license to sell. Good but bad the law does not stipulate that the stockist needs to use this room. In fact in my tour of the stocks last night I found one who had received a very large shipment from Bali and the Philippines. There were literally thousands of fish and one hundred or so buyers, buying the fish straight out of the Styrofoam boxes. Obviously that makes the quarantine law redundant.
<I have been to and through Sing. many times over the last thirty some years... and agree with you re the number of doomed animals... have had retailers tell me to my face that they "can't compete" with captive produced clowns for instance, or even ones from elsewhere as the P.I. and Indo. cyanided ones are "the market">
I am ready to lobby the government here for changes to this law so I was wondering if you are able to point me in the right direction for some meaty research that I can use in my petition. I am lucky enough to have found relative financial success in the banking industry and I am ready to hang it up and plunge deep into the captive breeding of marine fish. I have on many occasions had fish pair and spawn but never the time to devote to rearing until now. Asking the government to change the laws would have a much better impact if there were viable alternatives for the buyers. A law such as prohibiting the purchase of wild caught fish when there is a good supply of reasonably priced captive breed fish of the same species would be a good start.
<Mmm, the very best I can do is introduce you to a gentleman, Peter Rubec who has many years experience with this issue... in the hope he will aid you... direct you to literature, others involved in similar processes>
In Singapore the people wander in without a clue as I hear them ask what is that fish which happens to be one of 40 Moorish Idols dumped into a tank and then see them walk away with one in a bag. I am a member of a very helpful community web forum here and it never ceases to amaze me how many people buy a fish take a picture of it when they get home and post it on the forum asking people to id it and asking what it eats.
<Ahh, I will also cc a dear friend there, Perry Chong, who is also active in the industries of pet-fish and diving>
In my estimation approx 20,000 fish pass through Singapore each week There are only 3.2MM permanent residents here. If you think of the demographic averages of people with marine tanks that is a lot of fish that are dying each week. The is a breeder of seahorses here which is great but he tells me he does not need to export as he can't keep up with the Singapore market his plans are 2400 seahorses a month. This possibly implies people don't care.
<Too likely>
Nonetheless I am determined to captive breed the proven fish and I will become successful at some unbred species after further research. I also plan to culture LPS and SPS in a gradual process. 
<Yes... not terribly difficult to do... and you WILL have your day. Am also cc'ing a friend, Anthony Calfo who is well-learned on culture and the industry. Bob Fenner> 

-Releasing a leopard shark off the coast of Florida: yay or NAY?-
Bob, <Kevin here tonight> Thanks for all of your information. First I would like to say I can't believe that people are even allowed to sell/buy sharks to people without a certain type of license. <Troubling indeed, and I'm sure the vast majority receive inappropriate husbandry (namely too small and poorly shaped aquariums) only to die shortly or lead agonizing lives.> I live on the water in St Pete Beach Florida. I have sandy bottom 240 gallon tank with nothing in it but a lion fish. I want to put a Leopard Shark in it. My dimension are 96X24X24. How big can I keep
him till? And when he gets to big can I let him go off my dock? <NOOOOOOO! First off, NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES release a fish from your aquarium into the ocean! Have you heard about the problems with lionfish showing up in the Caribbean lately? Firstly, its a very bad idea to introduce non-native species into the ocean because they may end up upsetting the ecological balance. It only takes 2 to tango, and if someone else got the idea to let their leopard shark go off Florida, they just might meet up. Additionally, who knows what diseases and parasites from the pacific are hanging out in and around this shark? Like people, fish can carry many different diseases w/out being effected by them, the last thing you want to do is introduce these pathogens into an ocean of fish that don't carry the same immunity.> What are his chances of survival? <I'd say about the same in the ocean as in your tank since this is not a fish from tropical waters. Leopard sharks are caught near Cali in cooler water, water too cool for your lion to handle. Forcing the shark to tough out tropical waters will severely shorten its lifespan.> I also want to put some live rock in a corner with some corals and some different tropical fish and a snowflake eel. would that be possible? <That would depend on your lighting and filtration setup, but live rock is always welcome. Enjoy and PLEASE don't let anything go into the ocean! :) -Kevin>  Thanks, Michael

Postlarvae collect & growth as alternative to marine wild catch for aquarium trade
Dear Sir,
<Bonjour>
Ecocean is specialized in postlarvae collects in Polynesia. So as to expend our raised-tank stock list
I have 2 questions :
-Do you have producers address for bred marine fish (like ORA etc.) anywhere in the world.
<Yes. A brief listing of these companies can be found by reading here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqSciSubWebIndex/orncultart.htm  and through OFI's listing/member directory>
Also  we would like to implement a new fish farm in south east Asia (e.g. Philippines) do you happen to know 'classic 'fishermen for marine aquarium trade or aquaculture fish farmer with whom we could have a partnership for this nice alternative practice?
<I would contact Svein Fossa, Peter Rubec and Daniel Knop here. Am cc'ing them for their response to you. Both have extensive experience in the region and field>
We are also willing to develop the Development Aid action for local young people willing to stay in their island and protect it (training, restocking etc.).  More on ECOCEAN ? www.ecocean.fr
Waiting to hear from you, 
Sven-Michel Lourié
<Glad to make your acquaintance. Have read and heard many good things about your company and its programmes. Bob Fenner>
=====
ECOCEAN
80 Rue des Graves
34980 St Clement de Rivière
FRANCE
Tel/Fax : + 33 4 67 67 02 84
Cell : +33 6 18 39 82 80
www.ecocean.fr

Re: postlarvae collect & growth as alternative ...
Bob, 
I was told that the collectors capturing blue tang post-larvae target flat-top Acroporids and that they damage the corals during the collection process (personal communication, Mike King Coalition of Reef Lovers-CORL).  
<I had not heard/read of this... no need to damage the reef using this technique...> 
Since, hobbyists don't seem to care about coral reefs or the future of the trade, I will not be attending any of these meetings.
Peter Rubec
<Yikes... Peter, I assure you most all the hobbyists I'm familiar with care passionately re the world's reefs... attend some of the hobby conferences and am sure you'll agree. Bob Fenner> 

Netting Fundraiser
Hi WWM crew!
It's des here. I just got this info from reef central last night, and I
know everyone isn't on this forum. But they are trying to raise money
for netting for collectors in the Philippines
and Indonesia. These are places with heavy cyanide use, as you know.
Unfortunately
though netting is cheap, the people there are poor and can't afford it.
OTOH, large companies often support the use of cyanide.
<Yes... and have done so for decades... indirectly>
The link for more info is:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=191770
The fund raising link is FundAFriend, which is not tax deductible.
However, I think this
is a case where quite a small donation will go a long ways.
I hope you'll post this to let others know. Thanks.
--des
<Thank you Des. Will post. Bob Fenner>

MAC attack
<Perhaps you will all be issued nose-rings? See you soon Scotter... fight the good fight. Bob F, out today to Australia.>
Just to take a moment to point out an issue that I feel needs to be addressed.
It was made very clear by Paul Holthus, prior to the meeting, that only those who "prior" to the invitation date and listed in an attachment, were invited to the workshop in LA. There had been interest by other industry members to attend the meeting, but were denied entrance do to this prerequisite by MAC.
Prior to commencement of the meeting Friday, Steve Robinson was included. He was given the opportunity to sign the letter of commitment prior to the meeting, albeit just hours before. In addition, David Vossler announced that Steve was there as an observer only and would not be allowed to speak,
but then, not 30 minutes later, asked Steve to speak. This is not intended to be a jab at Steve, or any other individual, but merely to point out a major discrepancy in the policy of MAC.
I have written a letter to Paul and David in regards to this topic. David's response was that he felt it justified because Steve signed the letter of commitment "prior", although just hours prior, to the meeting. Paul was kind enough to "apologize" for the awkwardness placed upon him, due to the situation. But he didn't seem to be apologetic to any of us for their sudden change in policy.
I personally made a difficult telephone call to one wholesaler who had already purchased airline tickets with the intent to come to LA and sign the letter of commitment if need be. I had to tell them that they were not invited because they did not meet the MAC criteria. I personally did not agree with MAC, but it seemed to be the consensus of the group, in an effort to limit any potential chaos. It is too bad that MAC wasn't able to make the same difficult decision imposed by themselves.
Respectfully, Scott of SDC

Call for papers
International Marine Aquarium Conference
This is a call for papers for the International Marine Aquarium Conference, to be held in Chicago, May 2, 3 and 4, 2003. Papers may be presented by undergraduates, graduates or faculty, or hobbyists and they MAY have been previously presented elsewhere, except if they have been published in an aquarium trade publication unless there have been significant new results.
Attendees at the conference consist largely of people involved in the keeping of marine aquariums so the subject of the papers should be something of interest to them. (e.g., nothing on marine mammals or commercial fisheries). Topics involving corals and coral reefs ARE acceptable, as are topics relating to fish (and shrimp, crab, etc.) species normally kept in aquariums, also topics relating to maintaining proper water parameters, effects of artificial lighting on corals, raising of larval foods, etc.
Presenters will have up to 45 minutes followed by a 15-minute Q&A. Presenters will receive a complimentary full registration to the conference, including the Saturday night Banquet, and a special room rate from the hotel of $99/night.
For further information, please check our website: http://www.theimac.org/
People wishing to present a paper should send a title and abstract to:
Dennis Gallagher, Conference Chairman
International Marine Aquarium Conference
1455 Nottingham
Hoffman Estates, IL 60195
Or reply by fax or email.
Fax: 847-882-0522
Email: dennis2103@attbi.com 
There is no deadline but we have only a finite number of slots available and spaces will be confirmed on a first come, first served basis.

Decay of World Coral Reef Threatens Ocean Wonders
By Mark John
<Did just read through a work am reviewing re the size of the world's reefs... 264,600 square kilometers is NOT much. Bob F>
PARIS (Reuters) - Human abuse risks turning the world's coral reefs into a
"seaweed-covered pile of rock and rubble" bereft of its technicolor marine
life, the author of a new report said Thursday.
The death of fragile exotica like the venomous cone snail or the Reunion
angelfish would not only destroy the natural beauty of the reef but stunt its
huge potential in science's quest for new medicines, the international study
warned.
"There's been a reluctance to consider sea animals as at threat from
extinction," said British-based marine conservation biologist Callum Roberts,
co-author of the report to be published in the February 15 issue of Science
magazine.
"What we have shown is that many species are limited to small islands and that
localized impacts can wipe them out."
The study highlights 10 coral reef "hotspots" from the Philippines to the
Caribbean most at risk from overfishing, pollution and climate change and urges
the creation of marine reserves to prevent greater destruction.
The United Nations (news - web sites) Environment Program (UNEP), which last
year warned the world's coral reefs were shrinking fast, said the study was a
wake-up call to focus conservation efforts.
"We must ensure that this unique ecosystem continues to feed, protect and
dazzle us and our descendants for generations to come," UNEP Executive Director
Klaus Toepfer said in a statement.
DEADLY MOLLUSC
Coral reefs, often called the "rainforests of the ocean" for the rich diversity
of life they support, occupy 284,300 square km (110,000 square miles) of the
planet's surface -- an area half the size of France.
Dynamite fishing, polluting sediment caused by farming and deforestation of
coastal land areas, global warming, and the growth of scuba-diver tourism are
threatening over half the world's reef, the report found.
"Degraded reef looks like a seaweed-covered pile of rock and rubble," Roberts,
a senior lecturer at the University of York in northern England, said in an
interview.
"The water is murky and is less productive for food," he added, noting the risk
to diet and livelihood for coastal communities heavily reliant on seafood.
Turning coral reefs into marine reserves would not only boost fish catches in
the long term but, Roberts argues, make them more attractive for carefully
regulated tourism.
The study, supported by U.S.-based biodiversity protection group Conservation
International, focused on more than 3,000 species of fish, coral, snail and
lobster that need healthy reef environments to survive.
Some creatures are already feared extinct, including some variants of the
brilliantly-colored angelfish and damselfish popular in home aquariums.
But more is at stake than maintaining supplies to fish tanks. Coral compounds
are used in drugs such as AZT, a treatment for the HIV virus (news - web
sites), and some reef-dwellers could provide inspiration for further medical
breakthroughs.
Roberts cited the cone snail, a fish-eating mollusk with venom 1,000 times more
powerful than morphine, as showing promise for development as a human
painkiller.
"We are only scratching the surface of what reefs could potentially supply," he
said.

Ten key coral reefs shelter much of sea life
American Association Scientists identify vulnerable marine 'hot spots' with the
richest biodiversity on earth
<Uh, yeah... Bob F>
Tim Radford in Boston
Friday February 15, 2002
The Guardian
Conservationists could save a huge number of marine species by protecting just
10 coral reef "hot spots" around the world, scientists argue today.
A team from Britain, Canada and the US, led by Callum Roberts of York
University, reports in Science that the 10 reefs account for 0.017% of the
oceans, but are home to 34% of all species with limited ranges.
Coral reefs are under threat, from tourism, fishing, development, pollution and
global warming. Scientists warn that most of the world's richest reef systems
could be destroyed this century. A quarter have already been severely damaged
or destroyed. Dr Roberts and his colleagues looked at 18 areas with the
greatest concentrations of species found nowhere else, and selected the 10 most
vulnerable.
They are in the Philippines, the Gulf of Guinea, the Sunda islands in
Indonesia, the southern Mascarene islands in the Indian ocean, eastern South
Africa, the northern Indian ocean, southern Japan, Taiwan and southern China,
the Cape Verde islands, the western Caribbean, and the Red sea and gulf of
Aden.
"One of the arguments is that there is nothing we can do, it is all going to go
to hell, and that coral reefs are doomed. The other argument is that we should
work very hard to try and do something about protecting them," Dr Roberts said.
"The question then is how? Where are we going to focus our efforts, given that
we don't have the resources to do all that we would like? We cannot save all
coral reefs everywhere."
The researchers mapped the geographic ranges of 3,235 species of reef fish,
corals, snails and lobsters, which require healthy reef environments to
survive.
"One of the most effective ways to protect coral reefs is to establish networks
of marine reserves that are protected from all fishing. By minimizing the
stresses of overfishing, they should be able to cope with the stresses such as
global warming," he said.
But eight of the 10 reefs were near coasts that were being dramatically altered
by humans. The felling of forests meant that soils were easily eroded, which
deposited muds that could choke the reefs. Farming, too, released nutrients
that encouraged seaweeds to grow where corals would once have flourished.
"We want to avoid that, and countries like the Maldives strenuously want to
avoid that, because it means their islands might disappear if reefs start
eroding," he said.
·Humans - one species among perhaps 10m on the planet- consume, divert or waste
around 45% of all plant growth on Earth and more than half of all renewable
fresh water, Peter Raven, president of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, said in Boston last night. "We have altered
substantially the characteristics of the land, the fresh waters of the Earth
and the seas, and are driving a major proportion of the species, fundamental
for our continued existence, to extinction."
Species extinction over the past 65m years had run at about one species per
million per year. It had risen in the past 300 years to 1,000 per million
species per year.

Coral reefs thrive in Suharto's old island
by Robert Go
JAKARTA - At least one island near Jakarta still boasts of dazzling corals and plenty of fish, and the people owe the Suharto family for its conservation.
For years, Pulau Pemagaran in the Thousand Islands area north of Jakarta Bay was one of the former ruling family's quick getaway spots.
Mr. Probosutedjo, Suharto's half brother, has the lease to Pemagaran, and elite troops used to patrol its perimeter zealously with orders to keep intruders out.
Now, the island teems with recreational divers, who come for one of the best coral gardens around and perhaps also for a chance to spot Mr. Suharto's fugitive youngest son Hutomo 'Tommy' Mandala Putra.
Pemagaran's fate, however, is looking uncertain after the government unveiled plans to reclaim ownership of privately held islands in the area and turn them into resorts.
The Thousand Islands will soon become an official regency under Indonesia's decentralization programme.
And local legislators say private owners - businessmen and politicians who bought long-term leases during the Suharto era - need to give up their hideaways for the benefit of the nearly 20,000 regular folks who live and work on the islands.
Environmentalists and those who are familiar with the islands' ecology, however, express concerns that further development would destroy the coral reefs and fish still living there.
Their worry is that the government and the local people would focus too much on development and not enough on conservation.
Divemaster A. Wahab of Aquapro in Jakarta reported that although Pemagaran's coral garden is still thriving, many of the reef systems around less-protected islands have been destroyed long ago.
'Pemagaran has a good variety of table, brain, fire and fan corals, and also plenty of fish species, damsels, angels and wrasses.
'But it's a fragile system and easy to destroy. It won't last if more people come, if they build more resorts,' he said.
The biggest reason for Pemagaran's current state, Mr. Wahab said, is that it was off limits to fishermen and tourists for so many years.
Indeed, a recent report from the United Nations' Environmental Programme said that 80 per cent of Indonesia's coral reefs are threatened by illegal fishing and tourism.
Unesco, the UN's educational, scientific and cultural organization, has also studied conditions around the Thousand Islands.
That report revealed disappearing islands and reef systems due in part to human activities.
'It is ironic that the Suharto family may have inadvertently conserved Pemagaran,' Mr. Wahab said.
<Ah, an incidence of a benefit of a blatant dictatorship's thievery. Perhaps this example can be enjoyed by all. Bob Fenner>

Take Paradise... "a" beach in Sg
Hi Bob
The carpet anemones that are featured in the Nature
Society of Singapore Magazine- 
<Top left, page 6? Looks like a Stichodactyla species... intertidal.>
are they popular with
Marine tank hobbyist?
<Would suspect so... seeing the site, environment they likely are quite aquarium-hardy>
since the URA is moving the
bulldozers in November a friend suggested to me that
we harvest as much as possible the live rocks and
anemones that are found there and export it to the
States.
<What madness... "reclamation" to what other use? More money to be made in the short AND long haul by leaving all as is. Bob Fenner>
Perry

Chek Jawa
Bob
One of the boys at Spin Network used to work for a
Marine fish exporter before. The deal is to pack as
much as possible into plastic bags, sell it to them
and they will worry about the paper work and shipping.
<Very good>
Don't you think it is a good deal?
<Yes>
Anyway one of the Dolphin Trainers at underwater World
suggested I try talking to the curator about saving
the seahorses at Chek Jawa and bringing them back to a
good home at Underwater World.
<Excellent... many good things here. Exposure for conservation's causes, inspiration of the viewing public... saving a few lives. Bob Fenner>
Perry