Quote Originally Posted by rmalone View Post
If you have a coral in your tank you have every right to frag it however you see fit. How is it wrong to frag a small coral, in an effort to offset some of the money you spent, regardless of how much it cost? I don't get it. As far as being animals yes they are technically animals, but ethically I consider a coral far more similar to an orchid than a dog. Corals are simpler organisms than worms. I routinely shove a hook through a worm several times and throw in the water in an effort to catch a fish (which I might let go, or fillet and eat), and fish are far more advanced creatures than coral.

Personally I really do consider animals of all types to be natural resources. We as humans have a responsibility to manage that resource thoughtfully and sustainably, but it's not wrong to kill a cow and eat it, or chop up a coral and sell it. Basically I don't consider that animals have rights, humans just have use animals in responsible manner, with the ultimate goal being sustainability.
So by you understanding that we are animals as well then you would also understand that we don't have the rights to do as we please with other life forms.