Millions of tropical fish get poisoned before they’re caught.
MILLIONS OF FISH POISONED, THEN CAUGHT
Ateam of marine biologists at the U. S. Center for Biological Diversity say six million tropical fish imported into the United States each year have been poisoned by cyanide off the coasts of countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Sodium cyanide often is used by tropical fishers to disorient and stun fish, making them easier to catch. Exposure to the poison can cause heart, brain and liver damage to fish. It also can damage coral reef habitats.
The report last week coincided with the release of the Disney sequel Finding Dory, which features an animated blue tang fish.
Craig Downs and Rene Umberger, marine biologists who co-authored the study, say they are concerned the film will increase demand for the fish.
“Prior to the release of Finding Dory, concern has been growing that worldwide sales of royal blue tangs may increase, further depleting wild royal blue tang populations,” the researchers said.
“A similar trend was observed after the release of Finding Nemo, which triggered a sharp rise in the sale of orange clownfish.”
Unlike the orange clownfish, which can be bred in captivity, the blue tang can breed only in the wild. Scientists have failed, despite a decade of trying, to develop a method to breed the fish in aquariums.
Only about 15 per cent of nearly 2,000 aquarium fish species are bred in captivity, and only a few dozen of those are commercially available. The rest are taken from the wild. To have a real-life “Dory” at home can cost $100 to $200 — just for the fish itself.
The scientists who published the study found that 50 per cent of wild-caught aquarium fish tested positive for cyanide exposure. Online aquarium forums are full of hobbyists asking about diseases and unexplained deaths in tropical fish. In high concentrations, cyanide can cause organ failure in fish, and some studies have suggested its presence may be linked to Sudden Death Syndrome, where a fish appears to die spontaneously.
The chemical can damage coral reefs and the species that rely on them.
According to the report, “instead of precisely targeting one fish, the cyanide squirts out of the bottle and immediately forms a lethal cloud that easily spreads down the reef — stunning, damaging or killing everything it comes into contact with.”
In the U. S., importing fish caught using cyanide is illegal under the Lacey Act, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that 90 per cent of aquarium fish are imported illegally.
There is no way for buyers to tell if a fish was captured using cyanide. NOAA has petitioned the U. S. government since 2008 to establish checkpoints for testing imported and exported tropical fish but says it does not receive enough funding or the co-operation of the Philippines and Indonesia, where most of the cyanide fishing takes place.
In response to the demand for clownfish following Finding Nemo in 2003, researchers from the University of Queensland and Flinders University in Australia launched a major captive breeding program to provide the fish to suppliers.
They have called on Ellen DeGeneres, who voices the title character in the new film, to urge people not to buy the blue tang.
DeGeneres has not publicly addressed the issue of cyanide fishing, but released a video last week, calling on Australians to protect their country’s natural heritage. The Great Barrier Reef, which can be seen off the northeast coast of Australia from space, is suffering from coral bleaching in areas.
“As you may know, I’m a big fan of your beautiful, great, wonderful Great Barrier Reef which is home to my favourite fish, Dory,” DeGeneres said in the video.
“It’s critical that we protect this amazing place. Help us help Dory ‘ just keep swimming.’ ”