Survey indicates large proportion of fishkeeping hobbyists engaged in producing ornamental fish

Pountney, Samuel M.

doi:10.1016/j.aqrep.2023.101503

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Keeping marine ornamental fishes is expensive and demanding (OATA 2014). Furthermore, a survey of over 3,000 marine ornamental fish keepers showed that more than 70% did not intend to try to breed fishes (Pountney 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An updated review of the marine ornamental fish trade in the European Union

Biondo,

Burki,

Aguayo

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Wild-caught fishes from coral reefs, one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, continue to supply the marine aquarium trade. Despite customs and veterinary checks during imports, comprehensive data on this global industry remains scarce. This study provides an updated review on one of its largest import markets, the European Union (EU): 24-million-euro annual trade value, detailed exporting and importing countries also diversity of species and families of the 26 million specimens imported between 2014 and 2021. We then show how a watchlist alert system based on the number of specimens traded, import trends, and vulnerability index according to FishBase and IUCN Red List conservation status can provide key information on which species should require a closer scrutiny. The stark decline in trade of the most traded species, Chromis viridis, may warrant monitoring through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). While the European TRAde Control and Expert System (TRACES) electronically monitors the movement of live animals to respond quickly to biosecurity risks, one-third of marine ornamental fishes imported lack species-level information. With minor adjustments, TRACES could enhance the monitoring of wildlife trade, with marine ornamental fish being an interesting case study.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, a survey of over 3,000 marine ornamental fish keepers showed that more than 70% did not intend to try to breed fishes (Pountney 2023).…”

Section: Assessment Of Environmental Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An updated review of the marine ornamental fish trade in the European Union

Biondo,

Burki,

Aguayo

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Keeping marine ornamental fish is expensive and demanding [ 80 ]. Furthermore, a survey of over 3000 marine ornamental fish keepers showed that more than 70% did not intend to try to breed marine ornamental fish [ 81 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Updated Review of the Marine Ornamental Fish Trade in the European Union

Biondo,

Burki,

Aguayo

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wild-caught fish from coral reefs, one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, continue to supply the marine aquarium trade. Despite customs and veterinary checks during imports, comprehensive data on this global industry remain scarce. This study provides consolidated data on the largest import market by value, the European Union (EU): a 24-million-euro annual trade value, detailing the main exporting and importing countries, as well as the species and families of the 26 million specimens imported between 2014 and 2021. A watchlist alert system based on the number of specimens traded, import trends, and vulnerability index according to FishBase and the IUCN Red List conservation status is presented, providing key information on which species should require closer scrutiny by authorities. While the European TRAde Control and Expert System (TRACES) electronically monitors the movement of live animals to respond quickly to biosecurity risks, one-third of marine ornamental fish imported lack species-level information. With minor adjustments, TRACES holds the potential to significantly enhance data granularity and the monitoring of wildlife trade, with marine ornamental fish being an interesting case study to validate this approach.

show abstract

“…Reductions in CO 2 eq can be achieved by buying fish from local breeders, rather than importing them. Indeed, a recent study found that almost 90% of hobbyists surveyed had bred fish (Pountney, 2023), primarily freshwater, which demonstrates that utilizing networks of other local hobbyists can provide a environmentally friendly alternative to imported fish. If fish are going to be imported, such as marine fish that are not easily bred by hobbyists, better packaging can allow for reductions in CO 2 eq as most of the freight weight is water rather than livestock (The Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The environmental impact of keeping a tropical aquarium in Northern Europe

Perry

2023

Journal of Fish Biology

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Tropical fishkeeping is a popular practice in societies across the globe and involves recreating and sustaining an entire ecosystem in an aquarium within a domestic setting. The process invariably has an environmental impact, yet an assessment of this impact has previously been limited to the ecological consequences of harvesting fish from the wild or the release of non‐native fish species. Provided here are the first estimates of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions produced from running a tropical aquarium across multiple countries in Northern Europe (France, Poland and the UK), along with water consumption. Estimates were produced in silico and are discussed in the context of freshwater and marine aquariums, calculated using example aquarium sizes of 50, 200 and 400 l. Using estimates from the UK, depending on size and running conditions, a tropical aquarium produces an estimated 85.3–635.2 kg of CO2eq per year, equating to 1.6%–12.4% of the UK annual average household CO2 emissions, and uses 156–31,200 l of water per year, equating to 0.2%–30.1% of the UK annual average household water usage. Despite this, comparison with the CO2eq of an average‐size dog (127–1592 kg of CO2eq per year) or cat (121–251 kg of CO2eq per year), estimated from meat consumption alone, demonstrates that ornamental fishkeeping can be a more environmentally conscious pet choice. In addition, the majority of CO2eq produced from tropical fishkeeping is generated from the energy consumption of aquarium equipment and as more national electricity grids begin to decarbonize, this estimate should decrease.

show abstract

Survey indicates large proportion of fishkeeping hobbyists engaged in producing ornamental fish

Cited by 7 publications

References 29 publications

An updated review of the marine ornamental fish trade in the European Union

An updated review of the marine ornamental fish trade in the European Union

An Updated Review of the Marine Ornamental Fish Trade in the European Union

The environmental impact of keeping a tropical aquarium in Northern Europe

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