Why do wild harvested corals get the derogatory term "chop shop"?

[livinlifeinBKK]

Just curious why so many members of the site refer to wild harvested corals as "chop shops"(which seems intended to be derogatory)...i agree that it's better to buy aquacultured corals but tbh they represent only a small percentage of corals overall. The vast majority of LPS are still wild collected so why use a derogatory term when you're unsure if the coral was sustainably harvested or not? Again, torches and other LPS are heavily wild collected and plenty of people buy them anyway (as well as some SPS). In fact, Australian corals are primarily from the wild.

 

[Saltyreef]

Just curious why so many members of the site refer to wild harvested corals as "chop shops"(which seems intended to be derogatory)...i agree that it's better to buy aquacultured corals but tbh they represent only a small percentage of corals overall. The vast majority of LPS are still wild collected so why use a derogatory term when you're unsure if the coral was sustainably harvested or not? Again, torches and other LPS are heavily wild collected and plenty of people buy them anyway (as well as some SPS). In fact, Australian corals are primarily from the wild.

Ignorance

 

[dedragon]

Because a lot of these companies get in acropora colonies, chop them up, tack on a name, and sell them for higher prices. These corals usually arent adjusted long enough in tanks to even be successful in most hobbyist tanks and most just die. They usually dont even let the coral grow, just chop and super glued to a frag plug to sell. These corals for the most part dont do very well.

 

[Bucs20fan]

Current Politics, Global Warming, Pollution folks. Its just a derogatory term used for even sustainably harvested corals. Usually in an attempt to get the uneducated to sway from buying wild corals.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Current Politics, Global Warming, Pollution folks. Its just a derogatory term used for even sustainably harvested corals. Usually in an attempt to get the uneducated to sway from buying wild corals.

That sounds accurate

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Ignorance

What's so ignorant about my post? I was asking a question...

 

[Bucs20fan]

That sounds accurate

Alot more of our corals are maricultured now anyway, which might as well be wild grown so to speak, especially from a survival standpoint. Tons of folks dont know the difference between maricultured and aquacultured.

 

[Tired]

I think a lot of that is referring to the specific practice of buying colonies to chop them up and sell- which I assume we can agree is non-ideal at best. And then some of it is probably people misusing the term.

What's so ignorant about my post? I was asking a question...

Reasonably certain they meant that the term is being incorrectly used out of ignorance, not that your question is being asked out of ignorance.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Alot more of our corals are maricultured now anyway, which might as well be wild grown so to speak, especially from a survival standpoint. Tons of folks dont know the difference between maricultured and aquacultured.

That's the thing...a lot of people don't actually know where their corals are really sourced from nor the actual impact

 

[Saltyreef]

What's so ignorant about my post? I was asking a question...

Nothing. I think you misunderstood.

I answered your question lol.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I think a lot of that is referring to the specific practice of buying colonies to chop them up and sell- which I assume we can agree is non-ideal at best. And then some of it is probably people misusing the term.


Reasonably certain they meant that the term is being incorrectly used out of ignorance, not that your question is being asked out of ignorance.

Oh ok! I thought they were saying I was ignorant for not knowing the answer. I just misunderstood.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Nothing. I think you misunderstood.

I answered your question lol.

Oh, i misunderstood! Haha

 

[rtparty]

Chop shop refers to a vendor or seller that brings in large colonies, chops them up into 100 frags, gives them a fancy name, and sells them for $100 a piece. All while the colony brought in didn’t even cost $50

 

[Bucs20fan]

That's the thing...a lot of people don't actually know where their corals are really sourced from nor the actual impact

We can do what we can to educate people and thats about it. If people dont care where they come from they never will. I try to always get a general basis of where they come from, but it is not an easy process.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Chop shop refers to a vendor or seller that brings in large colonies, chops them up into 100 frags, gives them a fancy name, and sells them for $100 a piece. All while the colony brought in didn’t even cost $50

Ok, maybe I've just seen the term misused. I understood it to mean "chopping" pieces of wild coral from a reef (aka wild harvesting)

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

We can do what we can to educate people and thats about it. If people dont care where they come from they never will. I try to always get a general basis of where they come from, but it is not an easy process.

Especially since most shops don't even have full knowledge since they order from the importers most of the time as opposed to directly from the exporter. Only the importer and exporter generally know exactly where the coral came from and how it was collected (whether it be by mariculture or wild harvested)...with the exception of shops that grow out the coral ex situ

 

[Bucs20fan]

Especially since most shops don't even have full knowledge since they order from the importers most of the time as opposed to directly from the exporter. Only the importer and exporter generally know exactly where the coral came from and how it was collected (whether it be by mariculture or wild harvested)

Absolutely correct. Basically every LFS sources corals from a distributor. Most of them on the west coast, with a few on the east coast. These distributors typically have an area of origin and thats it.

 

[Gtinnel]

I take the term to be derogatory because often those corals don’t have a high survival rate, because of the reasons mentioned above.

 

[Bucs20fan]

Most people dont know, especially in florida, almost every soft coral and anemone can be harvested with a simple saltwater license and permit, for personal use only obviously, not commercial. Theres tons of nice corals in the keys and only stony corals are completely off limits, which I agree they should be.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Because a lot of these companies get in acropora colonies, chop them up, tack on a name, and sell them for higher prices. These corals usually arent adjusted long enough in tanks to even be successful in most hobbyist tanks and most just die. They usually dont even let the coral grow, just chop and super glued to a frag plug to sell. These corals for the most part dont do very well.

THIS!