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"One popular method is to use a cyanide solution," says Holt. "It's squirted into the holes and crevices of the reef and it anesthetizes the fish. They float to the surface. Then the collectors can just scoop them up, and the ones that wake up are shipped out." This method, says Holt, has a number of unfortunate effects. It bleaches the coral. It kills or harms other species that make the coral their home, particularly those that can't swim away from the cyanide. It can deplete or distort the native populations of the species. And it contributes to 80 percent of traded animals dying before ever reaching a tank."
There's a thriving industry already when it comes to captive-bred corals. I'm sure more and more saltwater fish will soon be captive bred as well; it's just a matter of figuring out the tricks to breeding them. Clownfish, for example, are easily bred in captivity.
As more consumers become aware of the issue, I expect the demand for captive-bred saltwater fish to climb.
Judging by the trade and FS ads on the local reef forums i'm on, it seems most people in my area are getting captive raised corals these days at least.
Hopefully the saltwater enthusiasts will be more serious about captive-bred it just seems besides clownfish very few options are out there.
Just like consumers who do not realize how many other fish died in the nets before they got the fish that was their dinner, fish keepers have to be cognizant of how many, e.g. puffers, died before the ones arrived at their local shop.
On the other end there does not have to be job loss either as those collecting from natural habitats could instead be working in the breeding industry. Governments have to realize that well-managed reefs will point my tourists dollars their way, otherwise I will just go somewhere else.
The reefs are facing many other issues...the marine aquaria trade is but one.
I would hope to see more captive rearing and sustainable harvest going on in the countries of origin too which would add value to the reefs. The thing is though that trade of this sort invariably has significant environmental costs...airplanes etc. Unsure if it is a net benefit thru and thru
Hopefully the saltwater enthusiasts will be more serious about captive-bred it just seems besides clownfish very few options are out there.
Many marine fish are very tough to breed in captivity because their larval forms exist as part of the oceanic plankton for a time, and depend on other planktonic creatures as food. It's tough to reproduce those conditions in a captive environment. We also don't understand all the environmental triggers that are needed to bring many popular species of reef fish into spawning condition. But people are trying to overcome these problems.
Ironically, corals are easy because while they can reproduce sexually, they also can grow by fission. So a large piece of coral can be fragmented into several smaller pieces, each of which will in time grow into a large coral. And oddly enough, giant clams turn out to be easy to breed in captivity as well -so much so that captive breeding is being used in some places to restock depleted clam stocks in the wild.
The reefs are facing many other issues...the marine aquaria trade is but one.
I would hope to see more captive rearing and sustainable harvest going on in the countries of origin too which would add value to the reefs. The thing is though that trade of this sort invariably has significant environmental costs...airplanes etc. Unsure if it is a net benefit thru and thru
I would argue that once a captive breeding program, in say Florida, is established the environmental effect is less than continually going 5,000 or more miles to collect them in the wild and the attrition rates that are part of that long chain.
The reefs are subject to many other destructive activities, but that does not mean hobbyist get a free pass by any means. If anything they should be holding themselves to a higher standard as preservation of natural ecosystems directly affects them. It would be odd to take the position that I only care about fish once they reach my tank, that their sole value is monetary. Alas I think there are a lot of vain and selfish hobbyist who think this way.
Many marine fish are very tough to breed in captivity because their larval forms exist as part of the oceanic plankton for a time, and depend on other planktonic creatures as food. It's tough to reproduce those conditions in a captive environment. We also don't understand all the environmental triggers that are needed to bring many popular species of reef fish into spawning condition. But people are trying to overcome these problems.
Which is why I am sticking with cichlids until they figure it out. Less cost and fuss too.
Which is why I am sticking with cichlids until they figure it out. Less cost and fuss too.
A perfectly reasonable choice. Another good option is to make captive-bred invertebrates the main focus of a saltwater tank instead of the fish. Nothing wrong with a gorgeous reef tank that just has a few captive-bread clownfishes and wrasses in it.
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