Endagered species in our hobby

I think there site is really outdated. I never know what they have until I see it for sale.

 

The cardinals made the endangered species list after they were aquacultured, so did seahorses. Seahorses are also the most commonly encountered fish in bycatch, and the dwarf seahorse is the most common fish in the inshore waters here so it is a little odd that it is "endangered", but these distinctions aren't based on fishery data, they are based on intangibles for the most part. CITES distinctions are odd to say the least....more of a fishery mangement tool, than an endangered/threatened list. Wild cardinals are still widely available, there collection numbers have remained steady, price seems the same considering inflation.

Aquaculture will grow as the hobby grows and the demand increases. Lot of overhead and regulation of that biz. Freshwater aquaculture has destroyed so much of Florida's native freshwater/estuarine fishery I would hope that new fish farms get the fine tooth and comb before they are approved by the Dept of Agriculture. Add in that you have to pump water from the ocean, and comb it with nets for food and you have additional permit troubles and costs, so it is something the hobby will move towards, but only when the investment will be worth it. But don't be fooled, aquaculture isn't about the environment, it is about business. Plenty of Florida species that are actually endangered and will be extinct b/c of aquaculture. Look up "Florida Apple Snail" and "Snail Kite", for example.

edit- sorry, I live by the port saint lucie water way, it was particularly hard hit, and has more asian fish I think at this point than native so I tend to come off harsh, but I dont mean anything by it, just a sore point.