Are Captive Bred Fishes The Only Way?

[lefkonj]

Great article very interesting take on it. I just purchased my first trio of captive bred clowns, they are very cool. Some fish are not there yet but as the demand and desire for leaving the reefs alone increases, so will the breeding efforts. This is great because it does leave the wild fish where they belong, on the reef.

 

[MartinWaite]

I'm al for tank bred fish but what gets me is the higher price point placed on these fish and I understand the reasoning behind the higher price until the get the program forthat fish sorted and are breeding in sufficient numbers to meet the market demands but what gets me is when breeders struggling to get the numbers up and costs down but they waste money breeding the likes of the bat fish and then flood the market with fish that are not suitable for the majority of home aquariums. They would be better spending the money to breed fish that are hard to catch or are scarce or finally really popular.

 

[flsalty]

I would never wish to see a hobby where 100% of the animals in the trade are captive bred. I think both aquaculture and wild sustainable harvest play vital roles. But I would like to see, a greater awareness and understanding of the role captive breeding can play in the industry and the greater choices that it can provide hobbyists. At the present time, especially in Europe, the awareness and availability of Captive Bred Species is extremely low compared to wild collected animals. One of the reasons for this, I believe, is that a large proportion of retail customers just don`t` see the justification in paying a premium, for what they see as just another fish. The only way I can see to help support captive breeding programs and give wholesalers and retailers the economic confidence to stock captive bred animals, is to make fellow hobbyists understand the choices and what benefits each choice may offer. IMO simply waiting for the prices to come down will inevitably put off investment by breeders and that choice will have gone.

There is no real benefit to purchasing a captive bred fish. The only way it will catch on with hobbyists (purchasing them) is if the breeders can get the prices down. Captive bred FW didn't catch on because people felt sorry for wild caught fish. It caught on because it was economically feasible to produce a lot of fish at a low price.

This whole sustainable reefing thing is just a marketing ploy to justify the higher cost. Someone upthread asked for an example of overfishing and nobody has come up with one. None of these fish are even close to extinction. Companies aren't breeding these fish to save the reefs. They are doing it to make money. That is why we have clown fish mutts now. Like you said elsewhere, those are only available as captive bred. So they are marketed as the next big thing. Same thing with aquacultured corals. Easily propagated corals should be going for cheap. Instead people put a funny name on them and sell them at a premium.

Don't get me wrong. I think it's great that things have progressed this far. When I first started out in this hobby there was no such thing as captive bred saltwater fish. Now there are how many? Dozens? It's still in it's infancy. Hopefully things progress. But if the goal is to produce weird fish not found in nature there will always be a limited market. And if the costs are not brought down the only market will be people who think it's somehow greener.

 

[Lasse]

Hi Lasse, you seem to have mis read my statement about aggression. I listed this as a myth. I stated that conspecific aggression is not limited by the fact of captive breeding.

I´m sorry - it seems like I read the bible as the devil does

I also bred Tanganyika Chiclids from 1984 for many years. Mainly Tropheus Sp. I was then a member of the British Cichlid Association. Nice to see a fellow enthusiast.

Tropheus sp - the tang of lake Tanganyika - when you should know about aggression I was not so interested of this type of Chiclids - I mostly bred Lamprologus sp, altolamprologus and the more uncommon species - why walk on the main road when it exist so many interesting back alleys

With regards Immune sytem in fish, I have included the scientific research paper. The point I am trying to make is Captive Bred Fish have exactly the same mechanisms ref Immune defense as wild Specimans.

There is differences but not as much as we thought before. This is a good review and this to

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Tony Thompson]

There is no real benefit to purchasing a captive bred fish. The only way it will catch on with hobbyists (purchasing them) is if the breeders can get the prices down. Captive bred FW didn't catch on because people felt sorry for wild caught fish. It caught on because it was economically feasible to produce a lot of fish at a low price.

This whole sustainable reefing thing is just a marketing ploy to justify the higher cost. Someone upthread asked for an example of overfishing and nobody has come up with one. None of these fish are even close to extinction. Companies aren't breeding these fish to save the reefs. They are doing it to make money. That is why we have clown fish mutts now. Like you said elsewhere, those are only available as captive bred. So they are marketed as the next big thing. Same thing with aquacultured corals. Easily propagated corals should be going for cheap. Instead people put a funny name on them and sell them at a premium.

Don't get me wrong. I think it's great that things have progressed this far. When I first started out in this hobby there was no such thing as captive bred saltwater fish. Now there are how many? Dozens? It's still in it's infancy. Hopefully things progress. But if the goal is to produce weird fish not found in nature there will always be a limited market. And if the costs are not brought down the only market will be people who think it's somehow greener.

Hi, Flsalty. The price of captive bred marines is one of the most common topics that I come across. In my experience the price has never been an issue that would dissuade me from purchasing captive bred. The three fish that I mentioned in my reply to LASSE (Captive Bred, Elacatinus, macrodon, oceanops and figaro) where all purchased at my LFS, at £18 each retail. My other captive bred fish where all purchased retail at the following prices watchman goby (cryptocentrus) was £25 retail, CB Black line fang toothed blenny £30, CB Rainsford Goby £30, CB Blue (assessor macneilli) £40 CB Banggai Cardinal £24, CB Ocellaris £15, and finally but not least my Beautiful Coral beauty £99.

With regards the number of captive bred species available retail. I know of around 100 Species of marine fish that are available to retailers at the present time. This figure varies due to current status of the breeding programs. This number does not include any of the clown fish Genus. As regards successfully bred Marine species, including private breeders, this numbers in the 100`s. Unfortunately, for European hobbyists, the vast majority of Captive Bred Marines are limited to wholesalers in the USA. Due to the low demand and awareness of captive bred availability in the UK. The number of wholesalers willing to import these species into the UK is very limited but fortunately on the rise. Here in North Yorkshire I can source at least 10 species of marine captive bred fish that are available from my LFS in a 10 mile radius, again this does not include any of the clown Genus.

I thoroughly respect your choice as to which sources you wish to buy your animals. My aim is to broaden that choice. IME, the Reasons why people buy Captive Bred Marines is varied. For instance my Assessor, I had not seen this species available in any LFS as wild collected until I sourced the captive bred specimen.

I really do think that captive breeding programs have an important `part` to play in our hobby. For instance, in the future some species may only be available as captive bred. Only recently the ban on collection around Hawaii and the subsequent ban on import through Hawaii from some of its surrounding islands, will undoubtedly have an impact on availability. If we don't` support those who are willing to put the effort in captive breeding than surely we will not have the mechanisms in place to offer an alternative.

With regards breeding for profit. I think you would agree that the whole industry is driven by profit. Whether it be by aquaculture or wild collection. This is just a fact of economics. I believe that neither myself or anyone else can, or wish to steer hobbyists into buying just captive bred species. All that I aim to do is raise awareness of the choices available and to broaden that choice.

Great speaking to you Flsalty. Happy Reefing.

 

[Tim Olson]

Great discussion! I can see both sides of the fence on Captive Bred vs. Wild Caught fish. Although, I always prefer to purchase Captive Bred when offered the opportunity and am willing to pay a significant premium.

• I understand the Carbon footprint perspective, but feel the variance between CB and WC is insignificant in the grand scope of things. The Breeder's profitability should drive the most efficient process, which will minimize and reduce the energy used to run the operation.
• Captive Bred, I believe, has less direct impact on the Reef. Whereas Wild Caught has the potential of impacting the Reef.
• I have the impression that Captive Bred fish will healthier, assuming they were raised optimally and not sold too young.
• Captive Bred should seem to be easier to adapt to our Reef Tank environment, primarily in terms of feeding.
• I also share the concern over Captive Bred mutations, having seen this breeding Tanganyikan Cichlids for years.

Just my 2 cents

 

[flsalty]

I have no idea how those prices compare to the wild caught versions in the UK, or if the price difference is greater here in the US than in the UK. I know that I see CB green mandarins at $80 as opposed to $20 for wild caught. I see CB pajama cardinals for $25 as opposed to $10. If I was looking to only buy one fish that probably wouldn't be a problem. I'm looking to stock a 90g with lots of nano sized fish so it would add up quickly. Admittedly, I haven't been looking around much at the various LFS and I do think their pricing may be lower on some fish.

Are there hundreds of fish available at any one time, or is it just subject to the whims of breeders? I just checked out ORA and they have roughly 60 non-clown species available. I wonder what the markup on those are, compared to wild caught fish. It should be lower as there are presumably less losses. I do like that there is a large variety of fish being bred. More than I thought. I'd hate to see the LFS saltwater selections become as mundane as most freshwater selections. I'd also like to see more concentration of the difficult to catch species.

I agree that captive breeding will play an important part in our hobby (once the prices come down...lol). However, even if Hawaii decides to ban all collection, it won't have a huge effect on the hobby, other than pricing. Most of the aquarium fish from there are available elsewhere in the Pacific. One could almost argue that banning collection in Hawaii would put more pressure on those species in other locations where collection practices may be more shady.

I suppose it appears I am against making money. I'm not. I mention it because that is the driving factor behind any suppliers in this industry. I also understand why the prices are so high. I also understand that I am probably in the minority when it comes to disliking things like morphs. I have the same problems with the herptile industry. I'd really hate to see the SW industry move in that direction.

 

[flsalty]

Great discussion! I can see both sides of the fence on Captive Bred vs. Wild Caught fish. Although, I always prefer to purchase Captive Bred when offered the opportunity and am willing to pay a significant premium.

• I understand the Carbon footprint perspective, but feel the variance between CB and WC is insignificant in the grand scope of things. The Breeder's profitability should drive the most efficient process, which will minimize and reduce the energy used to run the operation.
• Captive Bred, I believe, has less direct impact on the Reef. Whereas Wild Caught has the potential of impacting the Reef.
• I have the impression that Captive Bred fish will healthier, assuming they were raised optimally and not sold too young.
• Captive Bred should seem to be easier to adapt to our Reef Tank environment, primarily in terms of feeding.
• I also share the concern over Captive Bred mutations, having seen this breeding Tanganyikan Cichlids for years.

Just my 2 cents

I'd like to think it's not really a fence If I see there is a fish I want and it's only available as CB then I will obviously buy CB. I'm not militant against the idea. I just don't understand your willingness to pay a premium. I agree with some of your points. I don't think WC has as much of an impact on the reef as things like pollution, recreational fishing, boating, sand replenishment programs, and oil drilling, just to name a few things. I think thinking the CB are healthier or more adaptable is a misconception. Another misconception is that they are easier to care for. CB require the same care as WC.

 

[Tony Thompson]

I have no idea how those prices compare to the wild caught versions in the UK, or if the price difference is greater here in the US than in the UK. I know that I see CB green mandarins at $80 as opposed to $20 for wild caught. I see CB pajama cardinals for $25 as opposed to $10. If I was looking to only buy one fish that probably wouldn't be a problem. I'm looking to stock a 90g with lots of nano sized fish so it would add up quickly. Admittedly, I haven't been looking around much at the various LFS and I do think their pricing may be lower on some fish.

Are there hundreds of fish available at any one time, or is it just subject to the whims of breeders? I just checked out ORA and they have roughly 60 non-clown species available. I wonder what the markup on those are, compared to wild caught fish. It should be lower as there are presumably less losses. I do like that there is a large variety of fish being bred. More than I thought. I'd hate to see the LFS saltwater selections become as mundane as most freshwater selections. I'd also like to see more concentration of the difficult to catch species.

I agree that captive breeding will play an important part in our hobby (once the prices come down...lol). However, even if Hawaii decides to ban all collection, it won't have a huge effect on the hobby, other than pricing. Most of the aquarium fish from there are available elsewhere in the Pacific. One could almost argue that banning collection in Hawaii would put more pressure on those species in other locations where collection practices may be more shady.

I suppose it appears I am against making money. I'm not. I mention it because that is the driving factor behind any suppliers in this industry. I also understand why the prices are so high. I also understand that I am probably in the minority when it comes to disliking things like morphs. I have the same problems with the herptile industry. I'd really hate to see the SW industry move in that direction.

Hi, with regards sterling and US dollar conversion, it works out about the same. When ever we import anything into the UK the Dollar price is kept the same in sterling with no conversion, so $10 becomes £10. ORA is one supplier but the vast amount of captive bred species comes from Quality Marine USA. If you check out their Aquacultured section it is huge. They also stock Captive raised in a separate section. They even had the contract with a breeder I was following for Captive Bred Harlequin Shrimp. Interesting project. The breeder `apparently` successfully weened the juveniles onto a food other than live echinoderms. Biota Palua (including Reef Odities) and Poma Labs have other species not usually available through other wholesalers.

I see what you mean regards price if you are stocking a large aquarium. But then again hopefully this will be a long term purchase as most people should not need to be buying new fish every month, ha ha. That said I do read some heartbreaking stories on some forums.

If you look at what reefers are willing to pay for a bit of acrylic tube with a pump on the end and a cheap LED, High end LED`s with storm patterns and clouds. Dosing additives and miracle coral foods, IMO it actually seems quite reasonable to pay these prices for the animals that the equipment is actually meant to keep. Its strange that I don`t seem to see people complaining so much about the extortionate prices some companies charge for basic tech, that you probably don`t even need. Surely this hobby is all about the animals.

Here is a hot topic, I am sure will create some debate. If you look at what importers pay the collectors you can see why the wild caught fish are so cheap. I don`t believe the majority of Reefers would be willing to work with rebreathers or a breathing pipe fed from a boat, in hostile environments for such a low wage. You can also see why some collectors are still using Cyanide. Quotas for certain species and time limits are all pressures that the collectors must endure. Unless of course you are working for a more concerning employer, in which case the price will be reflected in retail.

The recent findings using a new non destructive test for cyanide in imported fish to the EU (Including those through the USA) showed some alarming results. This suggests that Cyanide is still in use within the collection Industry, no matter what the marketing descriptions may suggest. The only driving force for this method of collection is an economic one. Thankfully Cairns Marine, for one, are I believe in the process of making this testing more widespread throughout the industry. Animals that have been subject to cyanide poisoning may not show any outward signs until you have them in your aquarium, Then they suddenly die for no apparent reason.

Maybe that is a plus point for Captive Bred ?, you know for certain it has not been subject to cyanide? thats a point for discussion.

You are correct about availability, like everything this is driven partly by supply and demand. But IME they are always a good selection of Captive Bred Species available, if you know where to look.

Great to hear from a nano fish enthusiast. I love nano fish. That sounds like a great tank you have at 90G, What species do you keep if you don`t mind me asking?

 

[Tim Olson]

I'd like to think it's not really a fence If I see there is a fish I want and it's only available as CB then I will obviously buy CB. I'm not militant against the idea. I just don't understand your willingness to pay a premium. I agree with some of your points. I don't think WC has as much of an impact on the reef as things like pollution, recreational fishing, boating, sand replenishment programs, and oil drilling, just to name a few things. I think thinking the CB are healthier or more adaptable is a misconception. Another misconception is that they are easier to care for. CB require the same care as WC.

Good points ... I agree it really shouldn't be a fence. Both CB & WC should be able to co-exist as options for us. I guess the main reason I pay a premium for CB fish is it makes me "feel" better. This is based largely on being raised as a conservationist. Today, I have a more balanced view, but conservation is still very important to me. With regard to adaptability to our Reef tanks, this is based only on my personal experiences with both CB & WC (both Saltwater and Freshwater), mainly with regard to short-term acclimation to food and the constraints of living in a relatively small tank. I hope I'm not coming across one-sided on this, since I believe sustainable WC fish should be part of hobby.

All the best!

 

[flsalty]

That 90 is in the planning stages while I am remodeling my townhouse. That is why I have been looking into fish online, but not torturing myself by going to the LFS just yet. I've been out of reefkeeping for a little over 7 years. I'm literally shocked at how much prices have gone up on everything. I'm definitely going the DIY route this time.

I haven't kept a lot of nano fish, which is one of the reasons I'm fascinated by them now. I'm also like a kid in a candy store trying to decide which ones I want. I love all the clown gobies. I love blennies. I love gobies in general. I've had firefish and I like them. I like the idea of having a tank that looks like it just has a bunch of corals from a distance, but when you get closer you can see it has a lot of interesting life.

Anyways, I would love to see some self-regulating by the retail fish industry when it comes to cyanide use. I would definitely have no problem paying extra for that. But I agree that is a plus for captive bred.

Laborers get the short end no matter what the industry. I read an article 20 something years ago by a guy who worked briefly collecting here in Florida. It sounded brutal compared to the pay.

That's great news about the Harlequins. Those are something I'd love to keep yet can't justify buying starfish just to feed them. It sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do with regards to the subject of captive bred fish.

 

[Tony Thompson]

Hi Aquabox, could you please clear some points up for me. I include below your original list of calculations re resources for Wild Collection V Aquaculture.

Okay so let’s look at what it takes to net collect a fish off of the reef:

1. A tank of gas to fuel up the boat to go collecting.
2. Dive and fish collection gear to use once at the reef.
3. A temporary holding facility where ideally animals are held for at least a couple weeks prior to shipping.
4. Fish shipping materials: styrofoam and cardboard box, bags, heat/cold packs.
5. Fuel for the plane to ship the fish.

Now let’s look at what it takes to breed fishes inland:

1. All of the above to source brood-stock.
2. A facility to house brood-stock and rear live foods, larvae, and young fishes.
3. Equipment to do all of the above (tanks, sumps, filter media, skimmers, salt, RO/DI, lights, etc.).
4. Staff to do all of the above (they drive to and from work everyday consuming fuel and more).
5. Utilities to keep the facility running (electricity, gas, water, sewage).
6. Months upon months of work to bring fishes up to sellable size (which oftentimes are still tiny).
7. Fish shipping materials: styrofoam and cardboard box, bags, heat/cold packs.

Hi again. First I must apologize if I have missed something here.

You list what it takes for wild collection, but you seem to stop at the arrival airport?

Then the way it reads to me, you seem to list a whole lot of additional resources that aquaculture requires, but make no mention that, what I would imagine, Wild caught animals also require

2. Transport and processing through the airport to the wholesale facility of wild caught specimans
3. A facility to hold all the wild caught animals.
4 .Equipment to hold all the wild caught animals for conditioning due to their long journey. Tanks, Sumps etc, unpacking and disposal of original packaging. Chemical treatment if required.
5 Staff to work at the wholesalers of wild collected animals and their travel to and from work.
6 Utilities to run the wholesalers building to store the wild caught animals. Gas Electricity etc.
7 Wild caught fish shipping materials, styrofoam, boxes etc.

Once again I apologize if I am missing something here, I keep reading the sentences over and over, but it always seems that you are suggesting these additional resources are only relevant to aquaculture.

One more point is you seem to me to equate the first lot of resources to both aquaculture and Wild collection. How many animals do you estimate are required as brood stock for aquaculture and how regularly must they be replaced with more wild brood stock. Surely the amount of energy used to constantly collect and transport all those wild collected fish is extremely higher than the occasional collection for aquaculture. The smaller number of animals compared as a percentage of payload on the transport surely should be reflected proportionally. The less animals on the plane the less of the total percentage of fuel should be levied to their use.

I really appreciate your expertise, as I must admit I am just a simple hobbyist. I have no scientific background or any experiance in the calculation of resources. I understand your support for both Wild Collected and aquacultured animals, but to me even without the numbers the comparison seems confusing.

I will probably regret asking these questions as it won`t` be the first time some one points out the obvious to me, ha ha. However I am to long in the tooth to be afraid to ask questions about something I don`t` understand.

Thanks in advance for any reply to my questions. Best wishes Tony Thompson.[/QUOTE]

 

[najer]

Note to self, do a comment on the weekend dude.

Loving the discussion, mentioned my baby flame angel before, CB, is it not all about mixing the gene pool, doing it like they are trying to do it with lots of threatened species without corrupting them?

 

[Tony Thompson]

That 90 is in the planning stages while I am remodeling my townhouse. That is why I have been looking into fish online, but not torturing myself by going to the LFS just yet. I've been out of reefkeeping for a little over 7 years. I'm literally shocked at how much prices have gone up on everything. I'm definitely going the DIY route this time.

I haven't kept a lot of nano fish, which is one of the reasons I'm fascinated by them now. I'm also like a kid in a candy store trying to decide which ones I want. I love all the clown gobies. I love blennies. I love gobies in general. I've had firefish and I like them. I like the idea of having a tank that looks like it just has a bunch of corals from a distance, but when you get closer you can see it has a lot of interesting life.

Anyways, I would love to see some self-regulating by the retail fish industry when it comes to cyanide use. I would definitely have no problem paying extra for that. But I agree that is a plus for captive bred.

Laborers get the short end no matter what the industry. I read an article 20 something years ago by a guy who worked briefly collecting here in Florida. It sounded brutal compared to the pay.

That's great news about the Harlequins. Those are something I'd love to keep yet can't justify buying starfish just to feed them. It sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do with regards to the subject of captive bred fish.

I really like the sound of your ideas for your 90G, I think that could be an awesome reef tank. I love all the species you mentioned. I personally love the Eviota Genus, they are so many species to choose from and I believe, many of them show a particular lack of territorial aggression, even when breeding. I personally prefer to have several nano tanks 15G - 30G, that way I have a greater choice of species. It also enables me to move species around if they become incompatible. I have all my aquariums in my home office so I don`t get any complaints from my wife or daughters. Even as humans you need to be aware of territorial aggression , ha ha. Good luck with your tank, your comments have made me brood over another tank project, I might have to throw out some documents and the printer to make room, ha ha. Best wishes Tony Thompson, FB. Sustainable Marine - Reefers UK.

 

[mort]

This is from breeders refusing to cull fish and follow good breeding practices. It's really a bummer that people don't notice it and buy from these breeders anyway keeping them in business and able to continue with the bad practices. One of the worst for this is Sea and Reef. Their clowns have so many issues.

I remember not long back a vid showing a platinum (or mostly white clown) being fed to a cuttlefish. There was uproar and people saying how could you feed such an expensive fish to a predator but a decade or so ago this would have been seen as a worthless fish and culled. I wish people would realise how important it is to keep the genes strong by selecting the healthiest and best examples.
I really dispise the stubby or mishapen clowns that are commonly seen.

 

[mort]

I'm al for tank bred fish but what gets me is the higher price point placed on these fish and I understand the reasoning behind the higher price until the get the program forthat fish sorted and are breeding in sufficient numbers to meet the market demands but what gets me is when breeders struggling to get the numbers up and costs down but they waste money breeding the likes of the bat fish and then flood the market with fish that are not suitable for the majority of home aquariums. They would be better spending the money to breed fish that are hard to catch or are scarce or finally really popular.

Batfish, sweeties etc are bred for the food industry and it's only some excess that make it through to the aquarium trade. I'd wager these make more money but I don't think they would be exclusively bred for aquarists if they weren't already being bred.

 

[Hans-Werner]

I agree with Lasse's opinion. In my eyes, switching to 100 % captive bred fish would be detrimental or even disastrous to most reefs. Reefs have a high primary production which means there is a high CO2 fixation and flow of energy but the productivity is low due to low nutrient concentrations in the reef waters which means a reef cannot produce lots of surplus biomass.

For the use of the reef this means you can take some young fish and small fish species without doing any harm to the ecosystem and it is absolutely sustainable but if you start to take substantial biomass out of the reef this cannot be replaced by the species adjusted to the typical reef conditions and it is not sustainable. Taking fish for food usually takes big fish and substantial biomass from the reef.

If you use a reef for the sustainable production of young fish for aquarium trade you can leave the adult fish in the reef and take most of the offspring every year and still be sustainable. Taking fish for food typically will catch the adult fish and the decline of most caught species will be fast and this kind of business is non-sustainable.

People in developing countries like Indonesia or the Philippines need to use the reef in some kind to make their living. If you cut the possibility to take small fish for aquarium trade in any way they will have to use the reef in another way to make their living. This other way will be catching the big fish for the international food fish market. After most of the big fish are caught the fishermen will start bomb fishing to take the remaining fish for sell in regional markets or their own consumption. At the end the reef will be used as quarry for lime and concrete production.

I think it is quite easy to see which kind of reef use can be sustainable and which cannot. If we cut the possibility for sustainable use the use will be non-sustainable and for short-term profit. This is why in my eyes a market of 100 % captive bred fish is nothing we should achieve at the moment. First we have to make sure that the fishermen in the countries of origin of our fish have another income and other opportunities to make their living than using the reef non-sustainable.

 

[lilbitreefer]

As long as there is a demand people will always catch fish from the reef. If you make it illegal to catch fish from the reef the black market gets another source of money. Not to mention there is already a black market for rare fish. What we can do though is invest in research for more farm raised fish AND education on how to humanly catch fish that protects the reef as well as propgation that does not ruin the reef. People who are not educated and poor are the most likley to do things that does not help the environment or the reef due to it being the easiest. As consumers we can put pressure on wholesalers/collectors to collect responsibly. In the end it will fall on the consumers because as long as there is a demand for cheap fish/coral collectors/wholesalers need to make a money at the end of the day and will follow practices that make them money in the end. I look forward to see more captive bred fish on the market.

 

[Lasse]

Exactly what Hans Werner says - the harvest from the reef goes there the best money is. Today a fish collected for the aquarium market pay something like 4 times more compared with the food market. Its also different sizes of fish and and different fishermen. Its seldom the local fishermen that ruin the reefs. There is a similar situation in some of the African great lakes. Aquarist around the world has been concerned and helping with the conservation of treated species - see here http://www.cichlidpress.com/smgfund/index.html

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Wow what an awesome Article!