90 per cent of aquarium fish sold by US online retailers sourced directly from wild populations
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New research, published in Conservation Biology, has revealed around 90 per cent of marine aquarium fish sold by online retailers in the US are sourced directly from wild populations, mainly those in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
The US accounts for around two-thirds of all global aquarium fish imports, and researchers have warned that such a reliance on wild capture threatens the sustainability of coral reef systems and puts many species at risk of extinction.
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The research, headed by postdoctoral research associate Dr Bing Lin from the University of Sydney’s Thriving Oceans Research Hub in the School of Geosciences, analysed data from four major US-based online aquarium retailers.
Out of 734 fish species available for sale, a staggering 655 species were sourced solely from the wild, and just 21 species were available exclusively through aquaculture. 45 species identified were noted as being of conservation concern, with 20 listed as threatened.
The research also shows many commonly traded species – including wrasses, gobies, clownfish and other damselfish – are collected from tropical reefs and can be a vital source of income for the communities where they are sourced.
Dr Lin warned that the often unregulated nature of supply chains for wild-caught fish means there is a substantial risk to conservation efforts.
‘We urgently need stronger traceability and regulatory oversight to ensure that aquarium fish are sourced responsibly,’ Dr Lin said. ‘Consumers have no reliable way of knowing whether the fish they buy were sustainably harvested.’
While it didn’t form part of this study, Dr Lin also highlights the Australian aquarium fish market faced similar problems. Australia is among the world’s top 20 importers of live ornamental fish, and considering the global trade is so opaque, Lin explains it ‘leaves us guessing where each fish came from and how it was caught.’
Such regions have long been hotspots for the ornamental marine trade, where unsustainable fishing practices – such as cyanide use – have been documented.
‘We hope our findings motivate policymakers, industry stakeholders and consumers to work together to safeguard vulnerable reef species, foster sustainable trade practices and support the coastal communities whose livelihoods rely on this industry,” said Dr Lin.
