It’s easy to overlook how poverty and hunger affect environmental damage when one lives in a largesse country like the U.S. Consider however, just one small sector of the pet trade and its effects on certain fish stocks.
We have all seen stellar aquariums in many places. Most are private, either in homes or businesses. There are even businesses that lease aquariums to other businesses, cleaning the tanks, removing dead fish and restocking them.
The colorful fish living in these saltwater aquariums are a closeup visual treat for those who have never swam or dove on a reef. Keep in mind the following does not refer to public aquariums although on occasion, a few may be guilty of acquiring threatened or endangered fish stocks. This piece also does not cover the threat of acquiring threatened or endangered corals or aquatic plants either.
This little discussion is about the commercial world of fish taken from the wild and bound for someone’s aquarium. In fact, the problem is so large, lucrative and pervasive, I will only look at one country: Kenya.
According to a report published in October by the group TRAFFIC®, global trade in marine ornamental fish is worth more than $1 billion annually. Annual trade involves at least 40 million individual fish and some 2,300 different species. According to their materials, this group is working to ensure that trade in wild species is legal and sustainable, for the benefit of the oceans and people.
Other sources state that during shipping losses as high as 70% are considered acceptable.
“These fish are almost all harvested from the wild. The home aquarium industry is growing, with an estimated 6.7 million current marine aquaria hobbyists and 8,000 retailers globally,” according to the report
Leave a Reply