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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 5h

The public's adoration of "charismatic" animals is always going to be the thing we have to lean on to get the public to support the less "charismatic" organisms.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 5h

One other thing. I can't get folks to spend $ to come visit the zoo to look at coral. But those people will come to see an orangutan family and then they can learn about how the zoo is an active participant in the Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project, and how their $ supports that directly.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 5h

Overall, it's complicated but a lot of work and research is going in to this right now. These places are not collecting wild animals, but maintaining pairings as part of a Species Survival Plan for the specific animals. Also I'm definitely not an expert on this! 3/3

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 5h

And the ones that persist are enlarging or refining groups of animals as well as updating habitats and husbandry practices. 2/3

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 5h

Can you consider these animals as "ambassadors" for their species? There's a lot of movement regarding large mammals and providing for their needs in human care. 1/3

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 5h

Yeah, I've definitely experienced guests getting grumpy about not seeing "enough" animals. I always explain about the choice the animals provided are and try to give advice on when the individuals they want to see are best viewed.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 5h

I'm an AZA zoo volunteer too! :) Just becoming a docent right now. Thanks for sharing! 😀

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 6h

Europe also has EAZA, but AZA is an international org. Different regions may have similar but I'm not as aware.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 6h

AZA accreditation is huge for this. It is a voluntary accreditation system with strict, science-based standards for animal care and welfare, and massive support for conservation programs. I always check for it before I visit.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

Happy National Vet Tech Week to me, the only RVT at my job. The animal care dept has techs but I'm not in the animal care dept. So it's just me.

a man in a suit and bow tie is sitting in front of a national geographic sign

ALT: a man in a suit and bow tie is sitting in front of a national geographic sign

media.tenor.com

Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

There are absolutely ways to do it without supporting the less ethical side of things, though. Aquarium clubs are a great way to obtain locally bred fish from home aquarists, for example.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

I'd actually state that by far most die well before making it to the consumer's hands. It goes along with food and other agricultural waste. It's really not great. Any time one mixes live animals with money. It can be rough.

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Reposted by Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦

Gettin' Fishy With It Podcast @gettinfishypod.bsky.social · 1d

While we love seeing papers about the sustainability challenges in the aquarium fish trade, this one from @vicemagazine.bsky.social needs a bit of a fact check. Check it out but be kind. @luisprada.bsky.social, we are always happy to help!

Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

I normally give the media a break when talking about fish but this article on @vicemagazine.bsky.social is really egregious. This is why you maybe check with someone who is an expert on this topic before publishing. Short thread for why.

A screenshot of a Facebook post linking to a Vice Magazine article about fish in the pet trade. The post states "90 percent of aquarium fish sold in the U.S. are wild-caught, not bred in captivity. That means every time someone buys a neon tetra or clownfish from an online retailer, there’s a solid chance it was yanked straight from a coral reef." The picture is of a freshwater group of fishes found in the rift lakes in Africa.

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Reposted by Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦

Gettin' Fishy With It Podcast @gettinfishypod.bsky.social · 1d

Our next episode arrives this Friday! We'll be chatting with the creator of @climatetown.bsky.social, Rollie Williams! Join us as we discuss all of the ways that climate change is affecting fish around the world. You'll find this episode late this Friday on your favorite podcatcher!

A graphic promoting the 64th episode of the "Gettin' Fishy With it Podcast", entitled "Fish and Climate Change". The episode features the guest Rollie Williams of Climate Town, and will be live on Friday, October 17th on all podcast apps.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

Finally, here's the paper the article was about. conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Extent of threats to marine fish from the online aquarium trade in the United States

The global marine aquarium hobby is a multibillion-dollar industry, largely driven by demand from the United States. Much of this trade occurs online. We web scraped 4 major US-based e-commerce platf...

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

And @vicemage.bsky.social, hit me up if you ever need fact checking for animal pieces like this. Or I can point you to a colleague. Happy to help.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

Here's the article if you want to see it. I assume it'll get changed up. www.vice.com/en/article/e...

Exotic Pet Fish Owners Are Accidentally Ruining the Ocean

Your living room aquarium filled with exotic fish might be one of the many reasons the planet isn’t doing so well right now.

www.vice.com

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

Also, they were looking at e-commerce platforms, not physical pet stores. You'll find far, far fewer marine species just in pet stores where any person might buy one without the knowledge to care for it.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

I will say that the paper referenced in the Vice article is talking only about marine (ie saltwater) fishes, which are still commonly wild caught. But "ruining the ocean" for the pet trade? I'm not so sure. A discussion for another day.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

Next, the picture used is of another group of freshwater fishes. African cichlids which come from the rift lakes. Another very commonly captive bred bunch of fishes.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

Second, clownfish are indeed a marine species, but one of the greatest success stories for captive bred ornamental marine fish. You can even get different "morphs" these days.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

First off, if you are getting your neon tetras from a coral 🪸 reef, you've got a problem. These are a commonly captive bred Amazonian fish. Freshwater only.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 1d

I normally give the media a break when talking about fish but this article on @vicemagazine.bsky.social is really egregious. This is why you maybe check with someone who is an expert on this topic before publishing. Short thread for why.

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Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 2d

So many.
The water is supersaturated.
City water source changed.
They're doing behavior studies.

🏰meg⚔️ @Birthright Audiobook! @impavid.us · 5d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand

I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.

Christine Archer RVT 🇨🇦 @nerdrvt.bsky.social · 3d

Couple more lion photos from today. Finished the exhibit interpreter portion of my training with a 48 hour speed run, finishing with cassowary! Now on to tours and then biofact carts!

Lion mom Araali with one of her 8 week old cubs on her flank, on a heated rock in the lion maternity yard. The cub is looking up at mom with her mouth open.

Lion mom Araali with one of her 8 week old cubs on her flank, on a heated rock in the lion maternity yard. The cub is looking forward with her mouth slightly open and one upper canine slightly visible.