October 19th-(Sunday)-12pm-5pm-Framingham Elks - Ret Talbot Sustainability/Newbies

[jamesdong009]

Definitely a great meeting yesterday! I know I learned a lot yesterday and got to hang out with some reefer friends. Just wish there was more time to chat

 

[Ret_Talbot]

Ret, there was one question that someone had at the meeting and I was side track making my way over to inquire with you.

One of our members was asking if you could elaborate/clarify on what the (4D's) process was.

Hope you both enjoyed your visit with us.

Thank you

We enjoyed the meeting very much--thank you for the fantastic hospitality and the warm reception. Regarding 4(d) rules, here is an excerpt from my CORAL Magazine article coming out next month:

Section 4(d) is the part of the ESA that allows NMFS to issue regulations (and exceptions to those regulations) that are in keeping with the conservation of a threatened species. While the ESA prohibits take of any species listed as endangered, some take of threatened species under NMFS jurisdiction is allowed as long as NMFS does not extend prohibitions against that take or, if prohibitions have been extended, a permit has been issued for that take. The 4(d) rules can tailor the take prohibitions extended to threatened species. “One way to do this,” says Marta Nammack, NMFS' National ESA Listing Coordinator, “is to extend all section 9 prohibitions to the threatened species, but then exempt certain activities from those take prohibitions if the activities comply with other laws or regulations that NMFS has approved.” For example, in the case of the ESA listed Oregon Coast population of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), there are 14 exceptions implemented in the 4(d) rules which allow activities most people may think can not occur in the context of a threatened species. In the case of the coho salmon, a recreational catch-and-kill fishery exists for wild coho salmon, as do commercial aquaculture and hatchery activities. Section 4(d) rules give NMFS flexibility.



NMFS does not have to issue any 4(d) rules for a threatened species, and there are currently 30 species (including the 20 recently listed coral species, which have not yet been formally considered for 4(d) rulemaking) under NMFS jurisdiction that have no 4(d) rules in place. Of those 30 species, NMFS says they have no plan to issue a 4(d) rule for at least seven of them (none of these seven are from the recent coral listings). Despite these facts, many marine aquarium trade leaders opposed to the ESA listings continue to claim that it’s only a matter of time until 4(d) rules are written which will prohibit import, trade, possession and even aquaculture. PIJAC and others have pointed to the listing of both Acropora cervicornis (elkhorn coral) and A. palmata (staghorn coral) as precedent for how NMFS will handle the newly listed species, as those were the only two coral species protected under the ESA until recently.



A. cervicornis and A. palmata were listed as threatened under the ESA in May 2006, but it wasn’t until October of 2008 that the 4(d) rules were put in place. The 4(d) rules did prohibit the importation and exportation of the two species, as well as commercial aquaculture, but it’s not at all clear this is a blueprint for what will happen with the newly listed species. NMFS points out these prohibitions were already in place for A. cervicornis and A. palmata prior to the recent listing of 20 corals and that it would be very unusual to create a 4(d) rule that reversed a protection already in place for a newly listed species.

The process is that NMFS requests public comment on 4(d) rules and then pursues a transparent rulemaking process with several opportunities for public comment. It could be a year or more before any rules are finalized. We will be sure to keep people informed through CORAL Magazine and the ReeftoRainforest website about the process and any opportunities people may have to submit comment. Please feel free to send additional questions my way either via email at [email protected] or here (if you do post a question here, please also shoot me an email with the link). Thanks again, Boston Reefers!

 

[Moe_K]

Ret, that was an awesome presentation. One of the best I've seen in years.
Question to us is: what can we do to not be "that guy" (the wasteful hobbyist) and how can we help to get traceability from reef to retail so we know our fish and coral were responsibly taken, or better yet propagated in captivity (easy for coral, hard for most fish)?

 

[Ret_Talbot]

Ret, that was an awesome presentation. One of the best I've seen in years.
Question to us is: what can we do to not be "that guy" (the wasteful hobbyist) and how can we help to get traceability from reef to retail so we know our fish and coral were responsibly taken, or better yet propagated in captivity (easy for coral, hard for most fish)?

Thanks for the kind comments about my talk. In terms of not being "that guy," I think the answers are probably as many as there are aquarists. Community outreach is a good place to start--getting involved with schools, sharing knowledge with local groups, using your aquarium/aquaria and knowledge to initiate a broader discussion about the threats facing coral reefs, etc. Any opportunity you have to put a face on the hobby that is contrary to "that guy." Obviously being the most responsible and conscientious aquarist you can be is essential. Look for opportunities to acquire animals with traceability (e.g., Quality Marine offers QR code tags to all their retailers that give the customer a great deal of information about the fish they are considering for purchase). Buy animals harvested from the smaller developing island nations (Fiji, Solomon Islands, etc.), where destructive fishing practices and taking socio-economic advantage of fishers are far less frequent. Be willing to pay more for healthy animals sustainably sourced or aquacultured (actually, you'll probably save money over time by acquiring long-lived animals that don't need to be replaced). Most important: be informed, get beyond the rhetoric and break down the hyperbole. A truly sustainable and robust aquarium trade can be a win-win for hobbyists and coral reefs, fishers and fisher communities. A truly sustainable hobby is also a far more defensible hobby. Demand the reform that is needed, and encourage a sea change whenever and wherever you have the opportunity to do so. -Ret

 

[dz6t]

may be this was asked before, is it possible to get a copy of the presentation? Thanks

 

[Ret_Talbot]

may be this was asked before, is it possible to get a copy of the presentation? Thanks

While not the presentation itself, there is a lengthy feature article I penned for the upcoming issue (Nov/Dec) of CORAL Magazine.