Marine life in captivity

[Winton]

Yes, salt water aquariums are fantastic and anyone that can maintain and wants one should be able to have one.

 

[RockyHeap]

Yes, salt water aquariums are fantastic and anyone that can maintain and wants one should be able to have one.

Very good conversation and valid points on both sides of the debate. I feel the impact of aquarium hobbies collection is very small compared to Fertilizer run-off, other pollution, global warming, and other influence from man developing the local areas surrounding the reefs.

Aquaculture and captive breeding/propagation even for corals is becoming more common place, but it's not well published or common knowledge.

So for those of you who say absolutely no collection should take place, what about the aquaculture industry where people have dumps tons of land quarried limestone rock into the ocean to make an artificial reef, then gone back in 1-2 years to "harvest" the rock which now is covered in coralline algae, sponges, and corals? Where is the harm in "farming" the ocean this way?

I appreciate the civil conversation this thread has so far, people can take this to extremes very easily for either pillage and plunder the reefs, to totally shutting down all fishing or collection. There is a balance to be had and learning from all points of view.

Here's some information on the history of Live Rock Aquaculture and captive breeding of fish.

http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/doclbs.html

http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/history.html

http://www.reefsuk.org/CaptiveBreeding/Articles/Articles.asp