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Wild Caught Ornamental Fish


Timfish

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Yup, these marine conservation groups like to sensationalize the impact we are having. Think about it, the ornamental fish industry is a much softer target to ban than, say, commercial fishing.

However, I personally have deep concerns about lingering cyanide use in the Philippines and Indonesia.

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I'm not sure I like their comparison of fish caught for food vs. ornamental fish by weight. That's obviously going to skew the perceived reality of what's going on. 1 yellowfin tuna is much much heavier than a clownfish or tang. And tune and salmon live out in the open ocean whereas ornamental reef fish come from very small areas of the ocean where their removal is more noticeable and has a greater impact to that localized ecosystem. Not trying to argue against the industry, I just don't think that's the best unit to use in comparing fishing quantities. There are many many benefits to ornamental fishing and the industry can help support conservation in an age of population growth and technological advances that allows for quick exhaustion of natural resources if not properly managed.

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On the surface I'd be inclined to agree with you.   But looking at the cost per pound and who get's that dolor (or whatever currency is being used) ornamental fish are going to have a much bigger bang on the local economy of these island nations (if they get any benefit from commercial fishing at all).   It does not take large fishing boats and fleets for a country to reap substantial benefits and it gives local people a way to earn a better income than by subsistence fishing or using the reefs as a source for building materials.

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