Before & After Cyanide Fishing - NEED Pictures!

[Rock Anemone]

Hey everyone. I'm working on a pursuasive essay for my English class and the topic I've chosen is whether or not the use of Cyanide should be illegal or now throughout the world. I'm pretty sure you can tell which side I'll be supporting. However, above all the information I have gathered, I thought it would be a good idea to possibly provide several pictures of coral reefs before and after cyanide had been used, I feel it would provide a very dramatic feeling for the essay.

If any of you have pictures or know of any place that can provide pictures, please let me know. Also, any information on cyanide fishing you can link me to would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!
Rock Anemone

[spleen93]

http://www.marine.org/content/dfrp/cyanide.html

Spleen

[gregmoeck]

You should toss in there how finding nemo has devestated the clown fish population in southern japan.

[luceneck]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...fox-a%26sa%3DN

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...fox-a%26sa%3DN

http://images.google.com/images?q=cy...a&start=0&sa=N

The last one is a Google search. If you hit the image tab at the top you can find all kinds of things. Some items are harder then others.

[GSchiemer]

Originally posted by Rock Anemone
Hey everyone. I'm working on a pursuasive essay for my English class and the topic I've chosen is whether or not the use of Cyanide should be illegal...

There is no issue over the legality of cyanide fishing. IT IS ILLEGAL and no one is fighting to have it legalized. The issue is one of enforcement. You need to re-think your topic.

Greg

[Rock Anemone]

Thanks for the help everyone, great links and great suggestions.

Greg, I guess I should of stated more on the fact of enforcing it, since in a way it's practicly legal in countries where they just don't have the power or support to enforce it. The opposing side views, as I see them, would be the common question, "what benifits do the reefs give to us, why should the be protected?" etc and that's pretty much what I'll carry into on the debate against the opposing side. Therefor, my overall topic is that the law stating that cyanide fishing is illegal should be enforced more so than it is already. Sorry about the mix-up.

Rock Anemone

[hsvtoolfool]

Originally posted by GSchiemer
There is no issue over the legality of cyanide fishing. IT IS ILLEGAL and no one is fighting to have it legalized. The issue is one of enforcement. You need to re-think your topic.

Greg

That was also my initial reaction.

If you need a pro/con topic for debate, perhaps you should
examine the effect the marine fish hobby has on reefs. This
is a much broader topic and I bet you'll get a better grade.

For example, illegal collection methods like cyanide and dynamite
are obviously negative results from our hobby. Whereas the
economic growth and job creation from the marine industry
funds reef restoration, regulation, education, and police efforts
fighting illegal collection methods.

[GSchiemer]

Originally posted by Rock Anemone
Therefor, my overall topic is that the law stating that cyanide fishing is illegal should be enforced more so than it is already. Sorry about the mix-up.

Rock Anemone

You still don’t have a debatable topic. Everyone wants the laws enforced more rigorously but it’s a simple matter of economics. The countries that have this issue can’t afford to enforce the laws and no amount of “debate� is going to change that situation.

I suggest that you do more research on this topic and take the excellent advice offered by "hsvtoolfool."

[MaryHM]

For example, illegal collection methods like cyanide and dynamite are obviously negative results from our hobby.

Dynamite is used for food fish- not for marine ornamentals.

[Rock Anemone]

Well, the only thing I can see is that if everyone would like to enforce it, why is it being used so much and becoming a wide spread issue?

hsvtoolfool, what would two good sides be for that topic? I see where you're going however what would the two "for and against" sides be?

Thanks for the help everyone.

Rock Anemone

[newmoon]

Originally posted by MaryHM
Dynamite is used for food fish- not for marine ornamentals.

But there's a big collateral damage on the reefs....destroying them.

[GSchiemer]

Originally posted by Rock Anemone
Well, the only thing I can see is that if everyone would like to enforce it, why is it being used so much and becoming a wide spread issue?

Rock Anemone

I've already answered this: MONEY, MONEY & MONEY. These third world countries don't have enough money to deal with basic needs, such as food, medicine and housing. And what resources they do allocate to enforce environmental laws are often skirted by corruption.

The question of cyanide fishing "becoming" more "wide spread" is debatable. I was under the impression, at least, that it had been somewhat reduced.

[Rock Anemone]

So, wouldn't it be a good debatable topic on enforcing these laws and sending money and resources to these countries that cannot support the law by themselves?

Rock Anemone

[greenbean36191]

If you need a pro/con topic for debate, perhaps you should examine the effect the marine fish hobby has on reefs. This
is a much broader topic and I bet you'll get a better grade.

If this is for a persuasive essay like he said there is no need for a debatable topic. For a persuasive essay you don't have to try to convince someone that something is bad or good, just to agree with your position. How many times have you seen an article trying to persuade people to stop drunk driving? Is that a contraversial subject? If RA takes the position that more needs to be done to stop cyanide fishing then he has a perfectly valid topic. IME broader topics equal much worse grades. I would go with the cyanide fishing topic and bring up the issue of the countries with the problem not having the money and then suggest that since America is one of the biggest consumers of their fish that we help pay for the effort.

FWIW there is an article in one of the old reefkeeping mags where they went to visit some of the collectors and there are some pictures in there of cyanide damage.

[greenbean36191]

Here it is. They are near the bottom. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-0...ture/index.htm

[monkeyreefer]

i try to buy all tank raised fish for this very reason. sure it costs a little more, but the fact that i know i am doing my part to stop this type of destruction makes me feel great.

[GSchiemer]

Originally posted by Rock Anemone
So, wouldn't it be a good debatable topic on enforcing these laws and sending money and resources to these countries that cannot support the law by themselves?

Rock Anemone

Won't happen. It's not a priority, nor should it be. Any money sent to those countries will go to satisfy basic needs before stopping poor fisherman from barely making a living. I know that it's short-cited thinking, but I'd probably do the same thing if it meant feeding my family.

Stop trying to save a bad topic and listen to some of the other ideas stated here.

[Rock Anemone]

No high school essay will stop a world-wide crisis such as cyanide fishing. I'm doing it for myself and to provide knowledge to others on the topic.

Also, if you read above, I have taken in the other ideas. I've simply had questions about my current topic, as I am curious. It isn't a "bad" topic at all either.

Thanks for the help guys.

Rock Anemone

[greenbean36191]

Trust me, for the a persuasive essay the cyanide issue is as good as or better than any of the other topics here. Like I said before, you're topic doesn't need to be debatable. It doesn't even need to be a realistic goal. You just need to convince people of your view. I've seen a great persuasive essay about how water should be banned. Is water controversial? Is it realistic to ban water? No, but the author made very good, logical points to support his argument. That's all you need to do in a persuasive essay.

Then again what do I know, right? I only write papers a few times a week.

[bertoni]

Won't happen. It's not a priority, nor should it be. Any money sent to those countries will go to satisfy basic needs before stopping poor fisherman from barely making a living.

Now that's definitely two debatable topics...