Ethical Questions on captive breeding

[Dive Shop Cambodia]

I,m putting this one up for comments.

Pro's and Con's of captive breeding for rare and endanged species.

 

[drdiver1952]

Well, if the choice is captive breeding or extinction....I don't think you have much choice--as long as their natural habitat is protected along with the captive breeding to allow the remaining members of the population the best chance possible.

 

[cmburch]

Isn't something like this done for China's Pandas and the California Condor?

And maybe the Sea Otter on the West Coast of US?

 

[Diver Dennis]

Nothing wrong that I can see as long as they are not taking out too many breeding pairs from the wild. Do you mean "for profit" businesses?

 

[Dive Shop Cambodia]

The Question is that the illegal thai and vietnamese boats are raping cambodian waters, for a quick bribe in the right hands they are allowed to come into cambodian waters and do as they please.
At the same time the local fishermen ignore the 18m dredging law and regulaly destroy large areas very close to where we dive.
There are many species of seahorse here in cambodia, while we struggle to set up marine protected areas, they are being taken in large numbers.
The question for us is on the ethics of interfereing with nature and starting up a captive breeding program to make sure we can study and then repopulate once marine protected areas are in place.
Mpa,s could take along time, there are a few here in ream but they exist only on paper, with no enforcement of the laws

 

[drdiver1952]

Well, I don't see captive breeding as interfering with nature. The activities that threaten the survival of the seahorses is "interfering with nature."

 

[lock_washer]

I want to throw this one out... In previous posts, I have talked about whales and dolphins in captivity, and that has turned into a real "hot button" issue. Next to whaling, and the Japanese dolphin slaugther...people seem to get really passionate in here.

But in the case of the "Vaquita" (The Gulf of California Harbor Porpoise) and the Maui Dolphin...both these species are on the verge of extinction.

The vaquita is down to 150 animals left. It is getting desimated by the local fisherman with their gill nets. The fisherman are poor down there, and its not easy to get them to give up fishing.

The Maui dolphin is down to 111 animals left. The New Zealand government is mulling over banning fishing nets, but its getting to be too late to save this animal.

The only option in saving these animals is to take them into captivity to breed them. The Chinese River Dolphin- "The Baiji" just went extinct in China. The chinese are now trying to take the last of the finless porpoise into captivity to save it.

Captivity for these animals seem to be the last refuge. Plus if people see these animals on display...they will be more incline to want to save them in the wild.


Lock Washer

 

[dpbishop]

Captive breeding: Better sooner than to late. If there is any possibility of species extinction we should be collecting samples and breeding them to maintain a viable gene pool. Too many times the effort was mounted to late and it was necessary to cross breed with like species to restore the population. Think of the species that would now be gone if not for captive breeding: the California Condor, Mexican Wolf, Peregrine Falcon just to name a few. It can't hurt the species, and may save it.

 

[lock_washer]

The lastest from National Geographic: Last River Porpoises Dying in Polluted Yangtze

Last River Porpoises Dying in Polluted Yangtze

This drives my point even more... Captivity is going to be the last refuge to save some dolphins and porpoises.

Lock Washer

 

[almitywife]

sydney aquarium is doing studies on breed and release seahorses and our very good friend dave harasti is monitoring it. he hopes that "..... his research would lead to the release of captive-bred seahorses in areas overseas where seahorse populations are in danger of disappearing"

Sydney Aquarium - What's New in Conservation