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Looks like they were finally successful in shutting down the collection of ornamental marine fish in Hawaii. If you wanted to get fish from Hawaii now is the time. Whatever is in the shops now is likely all that you will be able to get for a very long time if ever depending on how much PIJAC is able to do. UGH!
Don't like to do it, but on another gloomy note, hurricane Irma is bearing down on the Caribbean Islands and on to Florida and the Keys. Who knows what kind of damage will be done overall. We work with 5 diver/collector companies in FL. 4 of which are just small "Mom and Pop" operations with just 1 boat and very small holding facilities. Been a tough 24hrs. chatting with some of them on what we can do to help. Some literally in tears asking for prayers that their businesses, boats and homes can be spared by this storm.
When the smoke clears from this storm and we see what kind of recovery is needed a real simple way to help out these divers is to simply increase the demand on the livestock that they provide to the industry. Consider purchasing your next livestock addition from the Caribbean. Wherever you get your livestock from adding a few Carib. animals to your order or purchase will help to put a few bucks back in the pockets of a fellow American trying to recover their home, business and livelihood. I wont list them all here as it would be a terribly long list, but consider a lot of the clean up crew items like Astrea Snails, Turbos, Nassarius, Emerald Crabs. Fish like Royal Grammas, Black Cap Basses, Atlantic Blue Tangs, Cleaner Neon Gobies, Hovering Gobies, etc. Trading and buying frags are nice, but lets help out those divers and pick up some Rics, Christmas Tree worms, Gorgonians, Rock Flower Anemones, Zoanthids, Paly. Grandis and much too much to list here.
I don't think that hobbyists realize the power that they have at their hands when they choose to make their purchases. Purchasing these items can help out American divers that make their living collecting and selling livestock from US waters to the industry here and around the world. Also, when you purchase livestock from around the world you are supporting divers that collect in some very poor countries and providing a source of income to impoverished communities that may otherwise have no other real option to support themselves. Our US dollars go a long way to help these communities, more than you may even realize! The need for your support now is going to be felt heavily in the coming weeks after Irma, but your support of small island communities and coastal tribes around the world is critical year round. Donating directly to PIJAC is about all we can do to help the Hawaiian divers that have had their industry pulled right out from under them yesterday!
Please send your prayers, best wishes, donations, whatever you choose to our divers in Florida and the Caribbean islands and in Hawaii. They all need us now more than ever.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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