巨型硨磲是珊瑚缸中最神奇的生物之一。雖然水族業中大多數的硨磲和硨石豪都產自巨型硨磲農場，但由於許多原因，這類珊瑚礁動物正面臨嚴重威脅。

巨型硨磲是許多熱帶沿海居民的重要食物來源，更令人吃驚的是，中國的古玩和象牙貿易將目光投向了最大型的雙殼貝類動物——庫氏硨磲。不幸的是，儘管中國最近加大力度打擊象牙貿易，但這似乎促進了極具破壞性的巨型硨磲「捕撈」行為。

為了應對因食用和觀賞而過度捕撈巨型硨磲，有提案建議將十種硨磲中的七種列入美國《瀕危物種法》。俗稱「藍硨磲」三種最小的硨磲，包括番紅硨磲、長硨磲和諾氏硨磲已經從該提案中剔除。它們是水族業中最受歡迎的品種，沒有被列為瀕危物種真是值得慶幸。

然而，七種較大的巨型硨磲（俗稱為「綠硨磲」）仍在提案之中，其中一些硨磲確實應該得到保護。庫氏硨磲、無鱗硨磲、鱗硨磲、肋脈硨磲、魔鬼硨磲、硨石豪和瓷硨石豪都在《瀕危物種法》的考慮之中。普通的硨石豪、無鱗硨磲和鱗硨磲都很常見，而且養殖的數量相當大，所以這些物種不應列在提議之中。

瓷硨石豪和魔鬼硨磲都是非常稀有的物種，過去經常發現真正巨型硨磲的地方，現在都很少見到它們了。雖然我們贊成巨型硨磲應該獲得國際法的一切保護，但將它們列入《瀕危物種法》並不能緩解它們面臨的主要威脅——用作邊遠沿海地區的食物和亞洲的古玩貿易。

將巨型硨磲列入《瀕危物種法》只會讓巨型硨磲養殖者難以將其水產養殖產品出售給餐館或水族愛好者。因為如果將任何一種硨磲列入《瀕危物種法》，所有跨國交易的巨型硨磲都需要額外的文件和檢查。

這對我們來說是一個嚴峻的環境問題。我們確實應該盡量保護其中的幾種硨磲，但不應以犧牲巨型硨磲養殖業的高度可持續發展為代價。公眾意見徵詢已經結束，我們只能靜候關於將巨型硨磲列入瀕危物種的事態發展。

原文：

Giant Clams Proposed to be listed under Endangered Species Act

Giantclams are some of the most magical creatures we keep in our reef tanks.Although the vast majority ofTridacnaandHippopusclamsin the aquarium hobby come from giant clam farms, this group of reef animals isunder intense pressure from many other causes.

Giantclams are an important source of food in many tropical coastal communities andmore alarmingly, the Chinese curio and ivory trade has set its sights on theshells ofTridacna gigas, the largest of all living bivalves.Unfortunately, while China has recently increased the pressure to reduce theivory trade in elephant tusks, it seems to also bepromotingtheharvest of giant clam shells with some very destructive 『fishing』practices.

Inresponse to the intense over harvesting of giant clams for food and ornament,seven of the ten species of giant clams are being proposed for listing underthe United States Endangered Species Act. The smallest three species – looselycalled the 『blue clams』 – includingTridacnacrocea,T. maxima?and?T. noaehave already beendropped from the proposal. Thankfully these are the most popular species foraquariums and they are not in danger of being listed.

Howeverthe seven larger species of giant clams – loosely called the 『green clams』 –are still part of the petition and we agree that several of them deserve allthe protection that they can get.T. gigas,T. derasa,T. squamosa,T. costata,T. mbalavuana,H. hippopus,and?H. porcellanusare all beingconsidered for ESA listing. The common hippopus,T. derasaandT.squamosaare very common and also farmed in quite large numbers sothese shouldn』t be listed in our opinion.

BothH.porcellanusandT. mbalavuanaarevery rare species to begin with and the true giant Gigas clam are rapidlydisappearing from many places where they were once common. While we agree that giantclams should get all the protection that international laws can afford them,listing under the ESA will not affect the primary pressures upon them – mainlyas food in remote coastal regions and the curio trade in Asia.

AnESA listing will only make it that much harder for giant clam farmers to selltheir aquacultured products either to restaurants or the aquarium hobby.Because if even one clam species is listed under the ESA,ALLgiantclams traded across international borders will require extra documentation andinspection.

Thisis a tough environemntal issue for us because we really believe that several ofthe species should be given the utmost protection possible, but not at theexpense of the highly sustainable giant clam aquaculture industry. The last dayfor public comments has already passed so we』ll have to wait and see whattranspires with the proposal to list giant clams as soon as we hear any newdevelopments. [CourthouseNews]

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