Trading Coral Reef Fishes

“You cannot actually describe a coral reef; you have to have experienced it to fully appreciate it”. As early as 1874 Ernst Haeckel impressively described the beauty of these marvels of the World. No aquarium can truly capture the awe and complexity of a natural coral reef.

Given the significant threats facing coral reefs today, it is essential to closely monitor the trade of their inhabitants. Our research is driven by questions such as: How many fishes are collected from coral reefs worldwide? Which species are affected? Where exactly does this occur? And, most importantly, may these species be threatened by the trade? These are just a few of the questions guiding our work.

Introduction

The trade in marine ornamental fishes is almost a century old but has never been properly monitored. It’s valued at several billion dollars a year. [1] [2]

Almost all coral reef fishes that spend their existence in an aquarium do not come from a breeding facility, but directly from the wild, a coral reef. Of the approximately 2,300 species that are available in trade, only about 1 percent breed in commercial numbers in captivity. For about 340 species, the breeding success rate is still at the research stage. [3]

Due to capture, handling, and transport methods, up to 80 percent of coral reef fishes can die before they reach an aquarium.[4][5][6] The few ornamental fishes that arrive in an aquarium often do not live for very long, which is why an estimated 30 million [2] – possibly as many as 150 million [7] – are traded worldwide every year.

Through our research, we aim to shed light on this trade and determine whether it may pose a threat to certain species. [8] We strongly advocate to monitor this trade. There are already tools in place like trade databases. In Europe there is the Trade Control and Expert System TRACES which monitors the trade of live animals to the EU. And in the United States of America there is a similar database, the Law Enforcement Management Information System LEMIS. These tools could be adapted to monitor this trade to the two of the largest markets for aquarium fishes properly.

According to the IPCC climate report of 2018, by 2100, with global warming of 1.5°C, all coral reefs could decline by 70 to 90 percent, while at 2° C, virtually all (> 99 %) would be lost forever. [9] A study confirmed these devastating findings in 2022. [10] And for example, Switzerland – my home country – has already exceeded the 2°C limit and worldwide 2024 was the first full year above 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial temperatures. [10]

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