Hey Monti, well said.
I have a couple comments regarding the price fixing issue, and a question for you and/or anyone else reading. Your last word - FAD, I don't think anyone can deny that there was a fad, how else it could be described? Truthfully it doesn't matter what word is used to describe it, the 'great acan movement' maybe
I'm not saying this is still the case today, and I'm not saying that everyone who owns acans did so because of the hype, but at one point everyone and their mother wanted acans from beginners to long time hobbyists, for one reason or another. Back when those threads (that Randy linked to a couple pages back) were active there were some really crazy morphs of acan lords being posted. IMO that really got people interested and wanting them at any cost, not too many folks had them, especially those colors (probably non-indo). Again IMO that was the fuel that led to the high prices as other less exotic morphs started to show up.
The way I see it (right, wrong, or otherwise) is anyone who sold/bought acans during that time was doing so at the going price, and why would they sell them for anything less? Surely this hobby has seen trendy corals come and go (Xenia, blue zoos, all kinds of various sps). All of this is IMO but this was just another huge trend that is now running its natural course. I don't know a single person who owns acan lords because they were told these corals are rare, and I haven't heard or seen anyone make that claim in a while now. I'm sure it has been said, as I vaugely remember references to Lord Howe Island, but really how many people put more stock in that statement VS. all the pics of eye candy they were looking at? I remember my reaction to those first pics to come out... a few swear words managed to slip out as I clicked though them all.
I'm not defending anyone, I have never sold any acans, nor am I associated with anyone who did other than an occasional piece so I don't have any motive in that regard. Something just doesn't feel right about targeting people for capitalizing on the latest fad in reef keeping. That was their perogative and mine was not to buy any of these corals until I felt the price was more reasonable, and I have been able to find some pieces at a 'fair' price. Everyone had and still has that choice. I certainly don't want to encourage high(er) prices on anything in this hobby as I'm primarily a consumer, but again to me something feels off about the way those individuals/ businesses are being accused of price fixing (admittedly none of us, aside from a few, know the specifics regarding this).
My question is in regards to the other issue at hand, illegal collection, which is more serious (IMO). I'm still fuzzy on one key point - CITES doesn't allow any A. lordhowensis in their quotas, does this mean that ALL lords are coming in under assumed names illegally, or can they also be coming in under other provisions such as corals from the Soloman Islands do (which appears to be a non-CITES nation)?