Stealing Coral

[Guba]

Here's one that really needs to pay attention the mantra "take only pictures, leave only bubbles".

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/24/State/Dateline_Florida.shtml

I'm assuming just about everyone registers varying degrees of anger and disgust at this type of activity.

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

Collecting illegally in a Marine Sanctuary is quite a disgrace. I wish they'd chosen to pursue the proper permits (although, for a German couple, those may not exist...may have to be a US resident to obtain collection permits down there...I dunno FL laws) before they decided to collect...and I'm sure they do now as well.

Cheers,
Austin

 

[ReefGuy]

Florida Statutes: http://myfwc.com/marine/recreational/recharvestmls.htm

Note that the limit, if he WASN'T in a marine sanctuary, is only 20 specimens. He was nailed with 400!!

 

[plot]

The german couple may have thought it was perfectly legit... it was the miami man who should've known it was illegal.

 

[ReefGuy]

I doubt that. Transporting flora and fauna across international borders is a general no no.

 

[KazooDiver]

What really saddens me as a Marine Aquarium Hobbies is the fact that they were taking the coral in the first place. They really should look toward aqua-cultured coral...grows much better in an aquarium verses the wild stuff. That just give the whole hobby a bad name (well actually both hobbies).

I for one hope that they do get the full term, but I wish it was more than 5 years! Who know how many other corals (and the reef/s) they damaged trying to get their coral!

 

[plot]

I doubt that. Transporting flora and fauna across international borders is a general no no.

I've never done any international traveling and live 1000 miles from the nearest ocean. Before I read this thread, I never would've considered traveling with coral a no no.

And to be honest, if it was me in that situation with some SBer down in florida who wanted to go collect coral, I would've assumed it was fine and wouldn't have thought about it twice. I also would never have any idea if I was in some marine sanctuary or not.

So I think it's perfectly legit to say the german couple might have been completely ignorant to what they were doing and the consequences.

 

[mynamehere]

plot,
maybe you havent done enough diving to respect it enough to leave it the eff alone! international or not. german or not.

we inadvertently damage the ocean enough without pilfering it!

take only pictures (and trash) leave only bubbles.

without demand there would be no need for supply.

 

[ams511]

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Also most countries have hunting and fishing regulations. German laws are strict, now if the couple was from Cambodia I may think it ignorance. Also there are signs posted and every dive boat I was ever on warned about collection. You cannot even shoot a fish in a marine sanctuary. I say put them in jail for 5 years as a warning to others.

Also the taking of any hard corals or live rock is illegal in Florida waters. I agree with the previous poster, the aquarium hobby really needs to limit itself to tank rasied specimens.

 

[plot]

I know well enough to not touch the coral or anything else (via OW classes).

Ignorance may not be an excuse, but the real blame lies with the miami man who led the others astray... Not the German visitors who, might or might not have known it was wrong (all speculative), but trusted the miami man.