Characterization of the marine aquarium trade and management of associated marine pests in Australia, a country with stringent import biosecurity regulation

Abstract

SUMMARYTrade in ornamental marine species in Australia, a country with relatively stringent import controls, was investigated using a telephone survey of wholesalers and retailers, and a desktop review of internet import databases and hobbyist trading websites. Information on the regulatory framework was obtained from government and other published or online sources, and from staff of regulatory agencies. Although the trade is small relative to that in the USA, Europe and parts of Asia, Australia imports significant numbers of marine fish each year for the aquarium trade. Many of the more than 200 species imported have the potential to become environmental and/or economic pests. Imported individuals of native species could act as vectors of disease or affect the genetic diversity of native populations if they were released into the wild. Regulatory measures include the use of lists of permitted species of plants and animals, a case-by-case risk assessment process for species not on these lists, and requirements for health certification and quarantining of imported stock. Once within Australia, however, translocation is less rigorously controlled, being managed by individual states and based largely on lists of prohibited species, though generally with scope for case-by-case assessment and refusal of permits for unwanted species, such as recognized pests. Wholesalers and retailers interviewed generally showed a responsible attitude to the disposal of dead or unwanted stock, but awareness and understanding of the potential pest risk of ornamental marine species was generally poor. The importance of raising public awareness of the pest potential of ornamental marine species is likely to increase with the growing importance of mail-order and internet trade.

Online auction marketplaces as a global pathway for aquatic invasive species

“…A study of marine ornamental fishes in Switzerland found that 30% of all imported specimens were trans-shipped to 11 other European countries (Biondo, 2018 ). Furthermore, sellers can ship living organisms directly using mail service (Morrisey et al, 2011 ) that, unlike express delivery, doesn’t generally require any electronic declaration about the content of the packages. Finally, sellers can also falsely declare the contents of shipments on custom declaration forms to attempt to evade customs and wildlife inspectors (Humair et al, 2015 ).…”

Aquaria kept marine fish species possibly released in the Mediterranean Sea: First confirmation of intentional release in the wild

“…Regulatory measures include the use of lists of permitted species, a case-by-case risk assessment process for species not on these lists, and requirements for health certifi cation and quarantining of imported stock (Morrisey et al 2011). In the Mediterranean Sea, with its variety of environments, and the exponentially increasing number of potential aquarium releases as inferred from the literature, the need to quantify the exact number of species belonging to all phyla potentially introduced in the fi eld as aquarium introduced species, as well as their impact, is imperative.…”

Diversity of Seahorse Species (Hippocampus spp.) in the International Aquarium Trade

“…Most marine aquarium fish are still taken from the wild, in particular from coral reefs and surrounding environments, providing low-income coastal communities with a livelihood but also causing the aquarium industry to attract controversy in terms of sustainability [8][9][10]. This trade is connected with severe ecological risks, such as overharvesting of some species and destructive collecting methods [8,[11][12][13][14][15] and the introduction of non-native species in the importing countries [9,[16][17][18][19][20]. Collecting ornamental fish with the help of nets [21][22][23] can cause a pollution problem when the Diversity 2021, 13, 187 2 of 37 nets are lost and animals are strangled in them [24].…”