Here is Burton's response:
In regards to the AMDA statement of position:
I thought I would answer some of the comments on reefs.org and reefcentral in mass rather than one at a time.
To start with there was never any mention in our statement of position regarding restraint of trade. The position we have taken is that we are a group of bricks and mortar retailers and aquarium maintenance people that have a mission to learn how to stay in business and improve the hobby by encouraging sustainable and appropriate harvesting procedures of the animals we use in our trade. We take both issues very seriously. Since we are primarily bricks-and-mortar businesses, we decided that our organization should be geared toward just local retailers. Local e-tailing (within a 100 mile radius of the store) was included in the discussion and adopted as a position to be taken. This allows the retailers to reach out and expand the demographic in a logical manner. We believe in face to face dealings with customers when it comes to livestock.
Currently the bulk of the livestock suppliers allow their stock to be picked over by mail order houses, local dealers, and collectors before anything is sold to the stores that order from outside the local area. Those people for the most part are us. But I suppose to some that is our fault that we don’t all live in Miami or LA.
One comment that indicated that because Perrin has water on the floor and not an immaculate housekeeper discredits our position that we have to keep our floors and store in very good order, is ridiculous. You couldn't be a broad-based retailer of many different supplies with a store like Perrin's. One OSHA visit would shut a retail store down with water on the floor. Does he have ADA approval for the public and special parking spaces for the handicapped? I could go on for a long time on this issue, but I won’t bore you with the details.
I certainly enjoyed the comment where we were effectively called hypocrites because John Tullock founded the organization and that he was a mail order company. So what? Pilgrims founded this country and I'm certainly happy that that bunch of zealots are not still running it. Organizations change. Live with it. I don't mean to infer that John is a Puritan. He was tired of watching fish die in transit and arriving in poor shape. So am I. So is the rest of the AMDA board. We don’t necessarily all agree on how it is done, but we do agree that something needs to be done about how our fish are caught and only buying by low price is not the way to handle it. This concept will ultimately creep into market place.
Our businesses come from the neighborhoods. We contribute to the community. Some scoffed at my comment about b&m retailers being the cornerstone of the hobby, but we are. Without us there would be no hobby. There are people not as aware of the hobby/science that the advanced hobbyist who tries to act as the judge and the jury in these matters, but for the most part there are some very good people that are involved. Many times one store makes the difference in the area. The others just tag along and live off the good will of the one store. Sounds like e-tailers and mass merchants. I will promise the public that their local retailers make a difference to the hobby. Maybe not to the high-end aquarist, but when something is needed in a hurry they are there for you and they need to be supported. Spending $10 and expecting $50 worth of service in labor is not the way to keep good people in business.
One individual did recognize that the local stores create interest, which is the point of the letter. In regards to AMDA we encourage members to be a part of the community, to be involved in education, and to not sell fish that are caught and shipped improperly. We have also had a number of discussions about selling fish on impulse. It is not appropriate.
Our problems in b&m retail are different than those of e-commerce, and we choose to be with our own. We need to solve our own problems. Not once did we ever blame anyone for buying where they want. Not once did we ever insinuate that the public was going to change. The public by it's very nature, will always play both ends from the middle.
We complain that jobs are exported overseas, but we buy at Wal Mart. Most fish equipment looks very American, but most is made in Taiwan, Italy, China, Korea, etc. It is the nature of business and we don't blame anyone, but we do have a choice on who we "hang with", what we sell, and who we sell it to. I choose not to hang with manufacturers that don’t support us. I choose not to hang with e-commerce in most instances. I choose to support distributors that use net-caught fish for the bulk of our purchases. For years I chose not to use Philippine fish in our stores. Does it hurt business? Certainly it does, but I know that if we all stopped buying fish from countries that use cyanide, would stop it in a few weeks. That is the premise I would hope more AMDA members take.
The public complains that there is no service in stores and people are rude. There are reasons. If the consumer only is buying for price, the net effect is to gravitate toward the least common denominator. That's free trade at work. We don't deny it. The pendulum does swing back and forth. One day everybody is eating low fat and low protein. The next day we eat high fat and high protein. Life is like that. Today the menu consists of many fish improperly taken, improperly shipped, and improperly handled at the site of catch, and many times mishandled at the distributor level. We are trying to effect change. We sure can't get it done with quasi government organizations that do nothing but worry by the hour for the pay. We are working on the problem and we do it for free.
If any of you go to the AMDA Reef Website you will see an article on the captive raising of fish caught in the plankton of the oceans by Gilles LeCaillon. We are involved and we are interested in doing things right.
There was a comment about me owning Pet Supplies "Plus" stores. PSP is a franchise group. We come with all sorts of background. Mine is aquatic biology, management of large farms and a solid background in zoo management. That represents 35 years of animal husbandry experience. I like to think that the mix of people within the company make us a stronger organization. Like many stores, many chains, etc. some are run better than others.
Now what have I done with my six Pet Supply Plus stores in the community? I did a weekly radio show on Pet Care that was highly regarded on one of the biggest radio stations in America for 5 years. For reference call Rob Pratte at KDKA for references. I now do a Pet Care Hour on the local cable news channel dealing specifically with issues like the Nemo craze and turtle care. At Easter I did an entire show on pets not to buy on impulse. That show was aired three times on network TV. I do a weekly column in 18 local Pittsburgh papers on pet care. Last week's column was on the inadvisability of using bowls for goldfish and that we don't consider them throw away pets.
If you would like to find out what we have done for the local Aquarium Society (GPASI) I suggest you talk to the GPASI to find out what we do. Maybe some of the dissenters and snobs could learn something. I don't see F&S, Petco, PetsMart, That Fish Place, Pet Warehouse, or WalMart at any of the functions sponsored by local pet groups. Oh, I forgot they are too busy selling the faster moving items while the people in the b&m stores create the hobby.
Additionally, we recently switched three of our six stores to only captive raised and captive bred fish. We were one of the first supporters of C-Quest. We advertised and talked extensively on the use of green sailfin mollies to start marine aquariums. We eliminated all undergravel filters 11 years ago. We were the first to use AquaDyne monitors to keep track of our units both in the store and over the internet. We take fish health seriously.
We do a little more than most, and we do it locally. We do not consider livestock as a profit center. The rent is too high, the electricity too expensive, and the labor costs out of sight. To make money on livestock you need to have a certain impulse selling strategy. We do not do this. We were the first to use locally grown coral raised commercially by Anthony Calfo, and if you look at Anthony Calfo's book you will find that we were one of the first to do so.
Now for the end of my little speech. Of the top 10 managers in our company there is over 170 years of pet care experience. They are proud of what they do. For the government to tie our hands behind our back and let e-commerce trounce all over us while they tax the hell out of us is so inane as to try the sanity of most thinking people. Every person that buys a product out of state that doesn't have reciprocity is breaking the law. We don't have those options. For somebody to say we are whiners because we want a level playing field from manufacturers, distributors, and government makes me really mad and I choose not to associate with those that do not support what I consider the foundation of this business.
I would also like to state that my involvement with the people in AMDA has allowed me to understand the depth of the problem in regards to catch procedures, shipping, and fish health from the fishermen to us. It is an understanding that has taken me to a different level of understanding of the breadth of the problem that is upon us. Cheap fish are usually caught with cyanide. The aquarium industry is not the main problem in regards to the destruction of the reefs, but we are involved and we could be more effective in our objections to the catch and shipping procedures. and that is what we are about. So to AMDA I thank them for the education. I sure haven’t gotten that information from the e-tailers. Buy and sell is the mantra. There is more to our business than that when it comes to the environment and the ethical treatment of the animals from the sea. In the past some of our members only wanted to deal with domestic issues and not involve ourselves with the sources of our livestock. If we don’t who represents us? We can no longer put our head in the sand. Nothing will get done unless we stop buying the fish that are caught improperly with cyanide and shipped like these animals are cord wood.
The position statement was meant to spur comment. Some comments were thoughtful. Some just spiteful. We hope that more community retailers will join us and be part of the ongoing debate. We think it is important to define the mission of our respective businesses. Without more participation from b&m retailers, we are less for it.
Burton Patrick
AMDA BOD, Director at Large
doesn't make personal insults okay. Please write it on your computer screen or something; I find myself too repetitve.
