For some time, I’ve held the belief that if the aquarium trade didn’t invest in current, real-world data about the aquarium fisheries’ role on wild fish populations, sooner or later a beloved aquarium fish or coral would be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Many aquarists don’t realize that any conservation group can petition to have a species listed under the ESA. If the information they provide the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and a follow up investigation show that a listing is warranted, then it’s quite possible the species noted will be listed. Now my prediction has come true, and it concerns a popular and beloved marine aquarium fish, the Banggai cardinalfish. In 1994 Dr. Gerry Allen rediscovered the Banggai cardinal, and by 1995 the small fish was introduced to the marine aquarium community at MACNA, in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1996 Tropical Fish Hobbyist published an article on the newly rediscovered cardinal, lauding it as the perfect fish for marine aquariums. Banggai cardinals were a sensation, and from 2002-2004 nearly 2 million individual fish were traded into the U.S. and Europe annually, for the marine aquarium trade. At one point in 2001, up to 118,000 Banggai cardinalfish were sold per month. One positive aspect of this explosion in popularity is that it led the species to be bred and raised in captivity, giving aquarists a source of aqua-cultured fish. Still, the Banggai cardinal became the 8th most imported marine fish in the aquarium trade. By 2013, conservation group Wild Earth Guardians petitioned the NMFS to list the species under the ESA. In February of 2014, the NMFS released a 90 day finding stating that Wild Earth had presented acceptable data to list the cardinalfish under the ESA. By August of 2014 the NMFS had published a 36 page report, detailing the best scientific evidence available at the time, proposing that the fish species be listed as threatened under ESA designation. Potential restrictions could prevent the ownership, trade, breeding, import and sale of an ESA designated species, meaning that at some point in the future, the NMFS could outlaw the ownership or sale of Banggai cardinalfish, including those bred in captivity. The findings:
According to NMFS’ detailed report, the ornamental marine livestock industry has damaged populations of Banggaii cardinalfish since collection began around Banggaii island in 1995. By 2000 severe negative impacts from the export of Banggaii cardinalfish had been observed, and 235 surveyed scientists felt the fish was at risk of extinction due to overexploitation of the marine livestock industry.… More:
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