Worrying trend in Peru fish exports
Ornamental fish exports in Peru have been the subject of a recent study, and a worrying trend towards the export of species biologically unsuited to heavy exploitation has been identified.Publishing their results in the most recent issue of the journal Environmental Conservation, Marie-Annick Moreau of University College London and Oliver Coomes of McGill University examined the ornamental fish export trade in Peru for 2001 and found an increasing trend towards exporting large species with low fecundity (eg stingrays and Silver arowanas) and small, geographically restricted species (eg Apistogramma species) for new Asian and European markets.
The Peruvian ornamental fish export industry was found to be growing since the mid-1990s, after more than a decade of stagnation.
In 2001, 28 firms in the trade were identified, officially exporting over nine million fishes worth US$ 2.5 million to 24 countries.
The top ten most important species exported from Peru according to sales value were: Silver arowana ,Osteoglossum bicirrhosum; Redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus; Tiger-striped catfish, Brachyplatystoma tigrinus; Motoro stingray, Potamotrygon motoro; Striped otocinclus, Otocinclus spp.; Leopard corydoras, Corydoras trilineatus; Zebra otocinclus, Otocinclus cocama; Tiger ray, Potamotrygon menchacai; Bleeding heart tetra, Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma, and Pictus catfish, Pimelodus pictus.
According to the authors: “Our study points to an important resurgence in the trade, with growing emphasis on the capture for export of high-value species that are vulnerable to heavy exploitation.
“Such trends, coupled with economic importance of the trade for fisherfolk, many of whom count among the rural poor, pose significant challenges for species conservation, similar to those faced for other aquatic biological resources that are harvested artisanally.”
For more information, see the paper: Moreau, M-A and OT Coomes (2007) Aquarium fish exploitation in western Amazonia: conservation issues in Peru. Environmental Conservation 34, 12–22.
This article may not be reproduced without permission.
Heok Hee Ng: 22.6.2007Views: Read 4,092 times
Comments feed
"Silver arowana ,Osteoglossum bicirrhosum; Redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus;
Tiger-striped catfish, Brachyplatystoma tigrinus;
Motoro stingray, Potamotrygon motoro;
A list suitable hardly for the home aquarium. I wonder why so many people try to keep these fish in tanks which are obviously to small knowing that it is only a matter of a few months before running into problems. It is time that these fish were restricted in the some way rather than be on general sale."
Date: Friday June 22nd, 2007, 3:08 pm
"I was at first greatly disturbed by this article. Then I sat back, and wondered if large tanks were also on the rise. I thought about my buisness, and the fact that most of the tanks I sell are either 10 US gallons, or larger than 75 US gallons.
Now I don't carry or sell tanks large enough for a RTC. And I only know of one private person who owns such a tank. But I don't think that the problem lies with the end user. The problem is with the dealer. Shop owners need to ask their customers if they are aware of how big the fish will get. I recently purchased a puffer who will grow to around 3 ft, (1 meter). Do I have the ability to care for him, yes. Does my customer, who purchased a 10 gallon tank yesterday, no. The shop owners need to be more responcible in ensuring that they let the "hobbyist" know, that their RTC will grow to 6 ft (2 meters), and will require a huge custom built tank.
I don't think, that most hobbyists are aware that the cute little pangasius cat, or RTC will grow to an ungainly, and nearly impossible to care for size. Banning is not the solution, personal responcibilty, and education are.
"
Date: Saturday June 23rd, 2007, 4:09 pm
"i think they should make a licencing like what they did to coldwater fish to stop people with smalll tanks buying them"
Posted by: Alex M - 2 years, 4 months agoDate: Monday June 25th, 2007, 8:08 pm
"Firstly, the problem comes from the buyers.If there was no demand for these fish the dealers would not stock them. We aquarists should avoid buying any such species which we know are unsuitable for the home aquarium. We should also advise newcomers to the hobby to avoid buying such fish. I also believe that a great deal of business comes from the "dry" side of the aquarium trade, and I for one, refuse to buy anything at all from any shop that has sick, dead, wrong species, dyed fish, for sale. We should not only avoid buying such unsuitable species but if we all boycotted shops that deal in the above, it would not be long before they all go out of business. Problem solved?
Kindest Regards
Robert"
Date: Sunday July 1st, 2007, 7:36 pm
Please login to leave a comment
Login
 | Singapore-based ichthyologist Dr Heok Hee Ng is a leading expert on Asian catfishes and has described dozens of fish ranging from catfishes, to nandids and cyprinids. |
| More articles by Heok Hee Ng » | |
.jpg)
"I'm shocked to see RTC's so high on that list. They are one fish I really don't think should be available in the trade. Even those with monster tanks can barely support them and I'm sure public aquarium's are flooded with people trying to re-home them.
Posted by: Alice Brown - 2 years, 5 months agoFar from being one of the top 10 biggest exports they should not be on sale at all IMHO."
Date: Friday June 22nd, 2007, 8:50 am