20 Species of Coral

I think until the bulk of "hobbyists" change their ways its a lose, lose battle. There is still a demand for cheap, wild collected coral and fish. Unfortunately there is nothing more than "want" driving this demand. There is absolutely no need for us to keep tanks full of fish and coral. So any wild animals collected for the hobbyists can be conveyed as a bad thing and unfortunately far too many end up dead after a short lived life in someone's box of salt water and prove just that point.


Is the collection from the wild for the hobby trade the biggest factor in the decline of corals? Not by a long shot. Will allowing collection for the hobby be the savior of declining coral species? In its current practice, I don't believe that either. The collecting, shipping and subsequent chopping of wild corals to sell directly to the hobbyists is a bad practice. For any species, endangered or not. I think wild collected coral and fish sold to directly to the hobbyist more often than not ends with a dead animal.


There needs to be some regulations and control to ensure the long term survivability of these species whether it be in the wild or as aquacultered specimens in homes and public aquaria and research facilities. The umbrella policies of no collection and no trading surely isn't a great idea, but its typical goverment and lobbyist thinking. We need to have a voice in the matter, but at the same time we also have to make the necessary changes to actually ensure things are progressing in the right direction. That means no longer buying the usually cheaper, wild collected specimens. And also educating ourselves and fellow hobbyists of the a needs of that animal before we place it in the hostile micro ecosystems that we love to look at. Embracing aquaculture and education have to happen to get this hobby out of the crosshairs of the special interest groups and the government.