Koi Dealer Best Health Practices Certification Program

[JasPR]

O yes, I'm aware. They made the public aware ( limited awareness as most buyers of marine fish are not interested in those details) . But the missing funds, questions about the actual collectors themselves taking the nets and still using the 'juice' because it was easier, over promotion of Robinson as a persona and the total ignoring of the fact that Chinese businessmen were not going to allow their margins to be shrunk, kinda made the 'program' a kind of con on the donating hobbyists that thought they were actually changing things.
So I ask you because I never followed the story through, did Robinson finally get busted for the missing funds? Curious minds want to know? I know when he began inviting my wholesalers to come and spend a day of diving for the best collected cyanide free fish, there was a large premium placed on the fish as it was more difficult to collect them. Many started wondering if this was an ingenious marketing plan or a plan to save the reefs- or both?

As I said, I'm a big Reagan fan " trust but verify". It takes people of good will and often a higher sense of service to work thru challenges that are frought with opportunities for corruption and personal gain. And personal gain is not always money.
So I'll stick to my suggested plan. A panel of professionals and in the know amateurs hammering out what is needed and practical. And beyond that, realistic protocol/education for the members of the amateur association. Rather than top down management, lateral integration of knowledge and transparancy- and above all, accountability.
JR

[bekko]

I do not know what happened to Robinson of late.

Getting that premium for net-caught fish over cyanide fish has always been the problem. I was the first marine ornamental breeder to become MAC certified under their mariculture plan. All the dealers were anxious to get fish from a MAC-certified breeder, but none of them were willing to pay more than the going rate for wild-caught fish. I had to finally get out of marine ornamentals because I can not grow them more cheaply than Mother Nature.

Quote: A panel of professionals and in the know amateurs hammering out what is needed and practical. And beyond that, realistic protocol/education for the members of the amateur association. Rather than top down management, lateral integration of knowledge and transparancy- and above all, accountability.

I agree. Even better if an industry organization is in the mix.

-steve

[JasPR]

no kidding! What species did you breed? And do you know anything about that seahorse breeding farm out your way? JR

[bekko]

Ocean Rider (seahorses) is at the Natural Energy Lab complex on the Big Island.

I was raising Banggai Cardinals, True Percula, False Percula, and Tomato Clowns, a few Dottybacks, seahorse (H. kuda), Upside-Down Jellyfish, Lysmata shrimp, Berghia nudibranchs. I was spawning Yellow Tang and several types of pygmy angels but could never get them through to postlarvae. We raised a few Lavender Tang and Indo-Pacific Sargent from wild-caught postlarvae.

I am in the process of rebuilding the last of the saltwater ponds to make more room for goldfish. When that space is full, we start getting rid of koi. They're free-loaders and don't pay their keep.

But, to get back on topic, I think AKCA is going too far afield with this dealer certification program. For one thing, a true ISO certification program is damned expensive to operate because you need to pay trained third-party agents to do the inspections and have clerical help to maintain the books. If you start cutting corners on the ISO process you open yourself up to lawsuits and other forms of criticism. AKCA will have to pass most of that cost on to the dealers. So, on top of the extra facilities, equipment and man-power required to comply with the technical aspects of the guidelines, the dealer is going to have to pay for the inspections and part, or all, of the program overhead. I just don't think it is going to happen.

AKCA should be able to find other, equally constructive, things to do in their own sandbox.

This reminds me of an old guy in our local club. He has probably been keeping koi since before I was born and you can tell he thoroughly enjoys it. He knows a good koi when he sees one and could easily afford the best. But he chooses to buy young fairly inexpensive fish which he puts directly into the pond without thought of quarantine, diagnosis or treatment. I once asked him what would happen if he introduced some new disease that killed his other fish. Don't you worry about it? He replied that koi are for relaxation, not for worrying. If they all died he would get some more.

-steve