Reefs.org Forums

[dizzy]

What, Huh,

Steve and Mary you seem to be agreeing with each other, but you are talking about two different things. Mary says the quality of the Philippine netcaught is very bad and they bring in disease that kill the Fiji fish. Mary says the reason they are in such bad condition is due to poor handling after capture. Steve is saying the variety is very low, but says nothing about the quality of the fish that are available. Steve says very few retailers are willing to support netcaught wholesalers. Steve also makes the valid point that many wholesalers (and retailers) try to use having a few netcaught in the house to "greenwash" their entire stocklist.

I personally was trying to find ways to support Steve and the netcaught movement when he made the decision to concentrate on Mexico. I want good netcaught Philippine fish. Same thing for Indo. It takes variety to have good retail store and while I like Fiji Bicolor and Coral Beauty angels, it takes more than that to get customers excited.

I don't have a clue what is happening with MAC lately. From my perspective everything they do is done in secrecy, and then you get this long press release that paints an unrealistic positive spin on all the events of the past few months. I really want to know if all the time and money MAC has spent has done anything what so ever to bring about positive change in the Philippines?

[SPC]

Posted by dizzy:
I really want to know if all the time and money MAC has spent has done anything what so ever to bring about positive change in the Philippines?

-Well it appears the answer to this would be NO according to what Steve just wrote. In fact it appears to me that it really dosen't make much difference what MAC does since the hobbiest is not willing to support net caught alone. We are right back to the same problem, in the end all the customer wants is the cheapest product, all the rest is just talk.
It is the final customer (the hobbiest) who must demand real change, if not then nothing will change.
Steve

[JeremyR]

That's why drugs are still so popular, even tho there are stiff prison terms for trafficking and repeat offending, not to mention what it does to your body. If someone wants it, someone supplies it. We've chosen not to carry any indo fish and most phil fish. Some people are annoyed by this, most understand (tho a good portion of them still buy the cyanide special other places). What do you do? Same as in the rest of life.. do what you think is right, and sleep well at night knowing you aren't contributing to the problem. There are still plenty of perdy fish available that you can get from good places.. you just have to give up on some species in favor of others.

<<It is the final customer (the hobbiest) who must demand real change, if not then nothing will change.
Steve>>

[flameangel]

Steve,,
in the end all the customer wants is the cheapest product, all the rest is just talk
*************
You are absolutely correct here !!

I stock tank raised/larval raised and what I am promised is "net caught ",only-
(I believe my wholesaler ,but can not verify without following that fish from capture to here)-
but- I can't get the variety and can not beat or equal the cheap caught fish.
I stick with my ethics and try to show the customers "the why"- but-
money still talks .
Until the hobbyist "walks the walk"-those of us who are
conscientious, will continue to just survive (hopefully), while the "cyanide dealer" laughs all the way to the bank !!!

[naesco]

So what we need to do is prohibit the import of fish that are caught with cyanide and all the good guys stay in business.

[MaryHM]

Again, that's one of those "easier said than done" scenarios. If only it were that simple. There is not currently a test that can be used in the United States at the point of entry to determine whether or not cyanide has been used. There is a researcher working on such a test, and I hope they figure it out and Fish & Wildlife implements it. There is a test that can be used in the Philippines, but you can't trust that it is conducted properly. It can't be used here, because the substance it tests for (a cyanide ion I think) dissolves out of the tissues fairly quickly.

[Bill2]

On a side note I recieved a pair of watanabei angelfish from steve through a lfs. Fish are doing great and eating like pigs. I've had them about 3 months now and any damage they got in being net collected has now been erased.