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Originally Posted by lReef lKeeper  However, here is my take on it. i think the petition is great, but i dont think that it is going to do a whole lot. i think that the only way that they will stop is if WE, the hobbyists, STOP BUYING FROM THEM. the entire hobby needs to work together to get this done. it does not matter what website you frequent, whether it is TR, RC, TRT, or whatever. we are a "society" of people that probably ALL agree that PetCo is a bad place to get OUR marine life from, but things will NEVER change if we do not all stand together ON EVERY SITE AVAILABLE and keep the new hobbyists or the future hobbyists from going there in the first place.
just my $.02, thanks for the lead Rob !! |
In an ideal world, with no "ifs" "ands" or "buts", this would work. However, if the "responsible" reef owners/hobbyists decide to no longer support irresponsible, uneducated stores, it doesn't necessarily mean that the shops will quite selling their products or livestock. There are ALWAYS new people joining the hobby, and plenty of buyers just don't give a penny....
So...in my opinion, it's all about education. If we continue to support the education of reefkeepers, then they can share the knowledge. Maybe rather than boycotting certain stores (because as some have mentioned...not all are bad), we should rather try to educate them. Send letters to the managers stating your concerns, send them articles for them to better understand the care required for these critters, etc.
Having said all of that...I'm not a big proponent of chain stores. The danger with big, financially-backed chains, is that they have more money to lose. If a bunch of fish, corals, inverts succumb to lack of care, then it's no big whoop for them. They'll just order more. I think the independent stores have more at stake - not only financially, but reputation as well. AND...it's always good for the local economy.
