Since some people are so keen on having us all read the NOAA report word for word, it should only be fair that they read the CITES document submitted at the 31st meeting of the Animals committee as well as this short bit from the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association in the web link below. The CITES document makes it clear that any aquaculture operations of this species are well and truly captive breeding as the Indonesian government specifically prohibits wild collection during peak mating season (no collection of fry or stealing babies from the mouths of the parents). These renewed conservation plans were put forward in June 2021, 3 months after the NOAA reviewed the species' ESA classification, 2 months after the NOAA received petitions from special interests groups to make a ban on imports of Banggai cardinal fish, and only 2 months before the NOAA published it's notice of receipt and gathered information to make their case. The NOAA bases it's justification for the ban on what it claims to be inadequate protections within the species native range while coming to this decision just a few months AFTER the CITES animal committee worked with the Indonesian government to set new conservation goals and strategies. I'm sorry NOAA but that is way too early to be drawing any sort of conclusion on the efficacy of conservation efforts. Either they weren't aware of renewed conservation goals and strategies made (they certainly made no such reference to it in their document) or they were pressured to make the ban anyway by said special interests groups without giving proper time to determine if the new conservation strategies were really "inadequate".
Banggai Cardinalfish do not need a CITES listing, says Animals Committee - OATA - The Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association
The Animals Committee of CITES has agreed that Banggai Cardinalfish do not need listing and does not need to return for discussion at future meetings, after Indonesia presented the latest information from its ongoing management of the species. At a previous Conference of the Parties it had been...
ornamentalfish.org