[Rob]

Do eMails really work? Or do they go into the killfile automatically?

I've worded a polite message already, a message that refrains from saying that his government hath not the competence to address complex ecological problems, and can best serve the people that they allegedly represent... by keeping their hands off matters which have nothing to do with providing cheap public services.

[cwa46]

They fixed the power cost problem, didn't they?

[SPasse]

Hi All,

You might want to check out the thread: http://www.reefs.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/021981.html

And this bill, in California: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/a...ended_asm.html

This bill could have far reaching effects on the entire hobby.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[Elmo18]

May I ask, what type of caulerpa is creating this mess in the state of California? I read from teh links that this will include ban on ALL types of caulerpa from coming into California.

Regards,
Ilham

[SPasse]

Hi All,

Here is the E-mail and other contact info for Bob Biddle, who is California assemblyman Harman's chief of staff:

Bob Biddle
Chief of Staff
Assembly Member Tom Harman
Assembly District 67
(714) 843-4966
Fax: (714) 843-6375
E-mail: Bob.Biddle@asm.ca.gov

I certainly intend to E-mail him with my concerns about this bill targeting all species of Caulerpa as opposed to just Caulerpa Taxifolia, which is the species that is causing the problem.

This bill could also stop the importation of live rock which often has Caulerpa attached to it.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[SPasse]

Hi All,

I am taking the liberty of pushing this back to the top of the pile because as I investigate this issue, I am becoming more and more concerned with it’s potential impact on our hobby. Although I have been watching these potential legislative threats to our hobby for almost 20 years, and many of them have been “storms that blew over” I believe that this particular threat is quite likely to have a severe impact on the future of our hobby.

As I have dug into this two possible issues are surfacing as too why all species of caulerpa are to be targeted by this ban, two possible reasons come to the top of the list:

1 The legislators that are pushing this bill are ignorant on the subject of Caulerpa. In other words even though it is Caulerpa Taxifolia that is causing the problem off the California Coast, Caulerpa is Caulerpa (Parts is Parts)
(Government has never done that before [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img] )

2 The biologists that have been in an advisory role (I am working on identifying these people) are using this opportunity to ban all species of caulerpa in the aquarium trade. This fits in with the environmentalist position held by many biologists that that salt-water aquarium trade should be banned, and doing so by incremental means is one way to go about it. As I have stated in an earlier post, latent Caulerpa on live rock could effectively ban all pacific life rock importation.

Therefore I urge all of the members of this board to contact the California Legislators and others involved in this bill to voice their concerns about this “misguided” piece of legislation. I will pass on more contact information, as I obtain it.

Regards,

Scott D Passe

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[olgakurt]

Scott,
The source of some of this info Caulerpa ban info can be found at The Marine Conservation Biology Institute's web site:
http://www.mcbi.org/caulerpa/caulerpa.html

One aspect of the taxifolia issue is that the strain has been genetically linked to Aquaria and aquaria stores. I supplied a link to a journal article in the reefs.org thread. If you read the 1998 petition to Babbitt by 107 scientists, it specifies taxifolia but mentions other things in regards to the aquaria trade.

[PerryinCA]

All is guilty until proven innocent....

------------------
Some call it evolution,
And others call it God.
Each In His Own Tongue (1908)
William Herbert Carruth 1859-1924

[waterboy]

Scott,
I've edited this reply so many times now, I'm going crazy. At first, I read some of the stuff in Olgakurt's article and the consequences scared me more than the "clean-list" approach, which is probably what's behind Biddle's reasoning. Scientists believe the seaweed could take over U.S. waters and coral reefs from North Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in southern California, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. Also, check out this article: http://swr.ucsd.edu/hcd/caulerpa.htm

I am an environmentalist before an aquarist, but there seems to be more politics than logic behind this bill. Since there is only one strain causing the problem, why ban all Caulerpa and potentially devastate a whole hobby? I could see if they weren't sure which strain it is - better safe than sorry - but they do know which strain.

We need to make smart policies. I think you might be right about them just wanting to get rid of the hobby. They don't seem to be following too much logic with their bill to ban all caulerpa. I think I'll probably take you up on emailing these bumbleheads.

On the other hand (sorry, I have to vent a little), you got "Dubya" treating our clean-air efforts like a bunch of bruh-hah. He could be right about us not knowing for sure what is causing global warming and ozone depletion, etc. But, damnit, by the time he makes up his mind what is causing it, we'll be choking on our own fumes. With the potential consequences, it would be better to be safe than sorry, and he just doesn't seem to get it. Of course he might just be letting his oil money decide his policies.

I would make a terrible politician[img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
Brian

[This message has been edited by waterboy (edited 05-01-2001).]

[landescaper]

Well then let's see.

Fresh water bass in So. Florida contain mercury. Since we can't recognize the difference between fresh water fish (they all look alike), let's just ban all fresh water fish for food.

Hey, works for me! [img]/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by landescaper (edited 05-01-2001).]

[olgakurt]

Scott,
I don't know enough about the Caulerpa problem to get too involved here. I found information (Scientific Journal article)which linked via genetic analysis the rogue caulerpa strain in the Med/CA to an aquaria source in Stuttgart and subsequent release from the Monaco aquarium when it was emptying their tanks. That strain has also been purported to have been genetically linked to caulerpa found in foreign pet shops.

I was trying to get you the list of scientists (107) involved in pushing this legislation. IMO, this letter initiated the CA legislation which somehow went from C. taxifolia to Caulerpa.

As scientist for one of the National Estuary Program in Florida, we were faced with invasive exotic removal (australian pine and brazilian pepper) whenever we initiated a habitat restoration project to create additional nursery habitat (mangrove fringe) for fish. Invasive species from all sources are a huge environmental problem.

[landescaper]

olgakurt,
It just occured to me. You weren't involved with the Bill Baggs/Cape Florida thing, were you?
Jerel

[olgakurt]

Jerel,
No, I worked for the Sarasota Bay NEP for several years

[landescaper]

Oh Lord, you guys really had your hands full.

[SPasse]

Hi All,

The thing that particularly scares me is a call for the ban on all non native species.

This would apply to fresh water fish as well.

And as we all might imagine, it would be very difficult if not impossible to “prove that a species organism are not dangerous”

Doesn’t look like Captain Picard is ever going to get to keep a Lion Fish. [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

Olgakurt,

I appreciate the link to the letter to Secretary Babbitt. I will be writing and sending a lot of letters in the near future.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[SPasse]

Hi All,

Here is a response I received to an E-mail that I sent Mr. Hovanec, One of the aquarium industry people lobbying against the ban:

Dear Mr. Passe

I am very aware of the bill, I spoke against it at the committee hearing and I have since met with the bill's sponsor to try to get it changed - so far we have not been successful but we are still working on it.

Unfortunately, no state politician in California cares what someone in Colorado thinks (since you can vote for or against them) but we (PIJAC) and I especially now of the slippery slope this bill has the potential of putting the industry on and we are fighting against it.

Thanks for your letter

Sincerely

timothy a. hovanec, phd
chief science officer
aquaria inc.

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[landescaper]

BTW
Tim is the President of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.
Jerel

[SPasse]

landescaper,

Thanks for that info. [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[SPasse]

Olgakurt,

Here is a really scary quote from the link you posted:

We need to move from a "dirty list" to a "clean list" approach, in which organisms can be imported only if the evidence shows they are not dangerous," said Dr. Dan Simberloff of the University of Tennessee. In their letter to Secretary Babbitt, the scientists asked for a review of federal policies and practices regarding the importation and sale of marine and freshwater organisms, and advocated a change to a "clean-list" approach.

If our government really adopts this policy, importation and perhaps our hobby is finished.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[waterboy]

Woo hoo! I got a reply!

Dear Brian,

I am forwarding your message to Asm. Harman's Legislative Aide, David Weaver in our Capitol Office. He is in charge of this bill, has more background and information available to respond to your questions.

Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Boughton [mailto: Doublebeezer@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 11:54 AM
To: Bob.Biddle@asm.ca.gov
Subject:


Bob Biddle
Chief of Staff
Assembly Member Tom Harman
Assembly District 67
(714) 843-4966
Fax: (714) 843-6375
E-mail: Bob.Biddle@asm.ca.gov

Mr. Biddle,
I have been informed that you are somehow linked to the bill that is currently going through the pipelines that bans Caulerpa: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1301-1350/ab_1334_bill_20010327_amended_as m.html
I am curious about the reasoning behind banning all Caulerpa instead of just Caulerpa taxifolia. Scientific evidence seems to suggest that taxifolia is the only strain causing the problem in the Mediterranian Sea.

This bill could have serious consequences on the aquarium hobby, and I urge you to reconsider.

Sincerely
Brian Boughton