Acropora verweyi, commonly seen and propagated in the aquarium trade, is one of 66 corals proposed for listing by the US Endangered Species Act.
PIJAC, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, issued a call to action on April 3rd, 2013, for everyone involved in the aquarium industry and hobby to submit public commentary in response to the NOAA Proposal to list 66 CORAL Species on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as we first reported late November, 2012.
You have less than 48 hours remaining to submit your public comment (electronic submissions are closed after 11:59 PM EDT, April 5th, 2013). [Update: electronic submissions remained open through April 6th, and are now closed. View the document and access public comments here]
Public commentary is a fundamental core part of the ESA listing process, so don’t think what you say won’t make a difference – it certainly could.
We are providing expanded commentary on the NOAA ESA Coral Petition issue in another article today; if you’re unfamiliar we encourage you to become invested in the implications this proposal has for you as an aquarist.
For those already familiar with the issue and simply looking for instructions, you can view the full PIJAC press release with instructions. We’ve also excerpted a portion here.
| Recommended Action:
PIJAC urges people involved with the ornamental marine trade and hobby to not only submit their personal comments, but also forward this PetAlert to others involved with marine organisms, marine products, and marine retailers. COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY APRIL 6, 2013. See below for instructions on how and where to submit your comments. Comments should include a brief description of your involvement with coral activities. Your comments should be in your own words – do not simply copy the talking points. Comments should be addressed to: Regulatory Branch Chief Or Assistant Regional Administrator,
Postal or Fax Submissions: If responding by mail, make sure the envelope is postmarked/date stamped on or before April 6. PIJAC recommends that you also FAX a copy to NMFS. For any questions about this proposal and responding to it, contact PIJAC at info@pijac.org or Marshall Meyers at marshall@pijac.org. |
I object.
If anything we are doing reefs a favor. We can give back to the ecological, biological movement by helping reef farms an so-forth.
If anything, limit coral exportation, and encourage aquacultured advancements.
Thank you.