The trade in coral reef fishes began in the 1930s in Sri Lanka and the Philippines. By the 1950s, the industry had reached commercial proportions thanks to the development of global air freight. By the 1970s, ornamental fisheries had become established across tropical waters. [1]
In the 1990s, the focus of marine aquariums shifted from displaying only fish to replicating entire reef ecosystems. Today, the industry is a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, involving over 60 exporting and importing countries. [2] The main exporters are Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, while the main importers are the USA, Europe, and Japan. [3]
Because there is little reliable information on trade figures for China, Japan, other Southeast Asian countries, as well as Africa and South America, and given their increasing number of public aquariums and growing commercial importance, these regions are likely to show rising import volumes of marine ornamental fishes. [4]
TRADE VOLUMES AND DATA GAPS
A United Nations report (2003) estimated that around 2 million private individuals worldwide keep a marine aquarium, and there are about 1,000 large public aquariums globally. [3] At that time, an estimated 24 million coral reef fishes, 12 million stony corals, half a million soft corals, and 10 million invertebrates (such as molluscs, shrimps, and anemones) were traded annually — a number that has almost certainly increased since.
These figures were based on voluntary declarations from traders, and major inconsistencies were already apparent: exporters reported that 43% of marine ornamental fishes came from the Philippines, whereas importers claimed 81% of their imports had unknown origins. [3] To date, there is no evidence that this situation has improved.
Our systematic review, which compiled and critically analysed all available global data on the trade in marine ornamental fishes, found that 28–30 million marine ornamental fishes are traded annually. When adjusted for market value, this could represent up to 70 million individuals taken from the wild each year. [4]
The number, biodiversity, and origin of traded species remain only vaguely known. This highlights the urgent need for a mandatory and comprehensive monitoring system that records trade volume, origin, and whether specimens are wild-caught, captive-bred, or captive-raised. [4]
LACK OF REGULATION AND NEED FOR MONITORING
It is both surprising and concerning that, in the 21st century, an entire group of vertebrates — over 4,000 known coral reef fish species — can still be traded globally with no comprehensive regulatory or monitoring system. For decades, scientists and conservationists have called for the ornamental fish trade to be properly regulated, monitored, and controlled. [6]
The European Union and Switzerland already use an effective tool: the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), a database used to track imports of live animals (and animal products, feed, and plants) into and within the EU to prevent disease outbreaks. [7] With the right modifications and political will, TRACES could also be used to systematically collect accurate, real-time data on marine ornamental fish imports. [8]
TRADE FIGURES AND GLOBAL MARKETS
Marine ornamental fishes have been traded without systematic monitoring for nearly a century. Our 2019 review, which aggregated all available data, found between 15 and 30 million marine ornamental fishes traded annually (possibly up to 150 million, according to one study).[4] The total value of this trade was estimated at only USD 28 to 40 million for the years 1976 to 1999. [1]
In 2019, existing TRACES data (2014–2021) were analysed to estimate European imports, demonstrating that the EU is the largest importer by value, followed by North America, China, and East Asia & the Pacific. [5] However, there is still no reliable information on trade volumes for China, Japan, and other Southeast Asian, African, or South American nations. Given their economic growth and the rise in public aquariums, these regions are likely importing significant numbers of marine ornamental fishes. [4]
