This ethical consideration is very interesting. We in the West (America)
have realized the results of our "industrialization" and have for basically
economic reasons, moved our "dirty manufacturing" to third world countries.
We preserve our habitat at the expense of other's habitats. I'm an American
and believe in free enterprise...because I'm a true blue Capitalist, but let
me take this one step beyond fishkeeping (because I'm pretty buzzed on
Merlot )\
One day we're going to overpopulate the earth or do something to melt the
polar ice caps or something equally cataclysmic.... (some folks believe that
we will exterminate some "Key" in the food chain that will domino up the
food chain to us)... the beauty of nature is that it really doesn't matter.
What survives after the cataclysm will be stronger.
So... off the soap box... and the wine bottle, when the fish that we keep
are near extinction because of something man did, well I feel that having
those rare species in a controlled environment is a wonderful extension to
their lives. A friend of mine once said that as a species becomes extinct,
we suffer greatly. However until we become extinct we won't understand the
suffering. Dang.... birthday wine does a number on my sensibilities!
Are we much different than the "fish in the box" that one previous poster
mentioned? Heck, I've moved to several new "boxes" over my 40 year life
span...

BTW the majority of my fish have been with me for over 5 years. Their
thousands of spawn have populated a few LFS... Don't know how they would
have faired in the wild!?

DJay


"Toni" wrote in message
thlink.net...

"Graham Ramsay" wrote in message
...
I was actually thinking about the whole ethical
side of fishkeeping the other day.
I have to admit to feeling uncomfortable about wild
caught reef fish and inverts but I don't know enough
about the issue to make a judgment either way.
Is there such a thing as a 'happy fish' scheme so that
fishkeepers such as ourselves can be confident that
any livestock we buy has been treated humanely
and is either tank bred or comes from sustainable
wild populations?
If not then there should be.



I think about these things as well... only *I* think "humanely treated /
wild caught" is an oxymoron. g
Perhaps one of the first things we can do as end buyers is to ask our LFS
"where is this fish from?" before each and every purchase. Let them know
that it is an issue that will influence where the $$$ go.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/aquarium.htm