Repy to Kalkbreath, I finally downloaded the complete report by Elizabeth Woods of the Marine Conservation Society (2001) concerning the Collectioon of Coral Reef Fish for Aquaria: Global Trade, Conservation Issues and Management Strategies. I quickly read it yesterday.
First, I does not support Kalks assertion that present collection levels and methods in the trade are sustainable. However, I would agree that it is a little thin on hard data that "proves" that the aquarium trade is responsible for destroying coral reefs. For example, the report reviews surveys in Hawaii pertaining to the impact of collecting marine aquarium fish. The earlier surveys tended to indicate that net collection techniques had little or no effect on the fish populations. However, the most recent surveys by Brian Tissot and collaborators do indicate very marked reductions in species abundance (as I summarized to some extent on reefs.org several months ago). Links to abstracts of the Tissot studies were provided by Mike King on this list. I downloaded and read this material as well. Anyone wishing the links can contact me at
[email protected]. With regard to the Philippines there were underwater surveys of the reefs by Dr. Gomez of the University of the Philippines in 1981 and again in 1990. These do not specifically blame the aquarium trade, but list many of the factors (eg. dynamite, cyanide, siltation, muro-ami, coral harvesting for the curio trade). In many cases, it is difficult to prove that cyanide killed the reefs, because many other activities also occur in the same areas. There is a world-wide network of coral reef scientists coordinated by Dr. Clive Wilkerson (in Townesville, Australia) that has published books summarizing the status of coral reefs worldwide in 1999 and again in 2002. Reefs are in serious jeaprody. Some of the damage is being caused by destructive harvesting methods such as the use of sodium cyanide. To claim otherwise is irresponsible on the part of Kalk and others in the trade. Keep it up, and governments will shut down the aquarium trade. Indonesian reefs are also seriously degraded, and the use of cyanide for capture of aquarium fish and food fish is totally out of control. Jamee Cervino (with other authors including myself) have conducted research on the effects of cyanide on corals. The results were not encouraging. Acroporids exposed to 600 ppm of cyanide ion for 80 seconds were dead in 24 hours and shed zooxanthellae and then their living tissue to leave bare skeletons.
Back to the Woods report. She has a Ph.D. and is a sincere scientist. However, some of the quotes she makes are pure hearsay. I object to her interpretation of my papers concerning cyanide testing. Some of the things she says (using quotes from Sankey in England and Baquero of OVI-not of IMA) are completely wrong. I must caution those reading the Woods report to realize that it is not peer-reviewed (that I know of). While it is a good synthesis of the state of the world trade in marine ornamentals, it suffers from the fact that there are not many good scientific studies of the questions being addressed. Funding is scarce for any kind of research pertaining to the aquarium trade.
The MAC has developed Ecosystem Management (EM) standards that require underwater surveys of the reefs to assess health of the reefs and sustainability of the resource (aquarium fish populations). They intend to adopt the underwater methods used by ReefCheck (based out of Hong Kong). The MAC survey methods are called MACTRAC. This is still in development.
Reefcheck did a survey at Batasan Island in the muncipality of Tubigon. They found that the Batasan reefs were in poor condition and that there was a limited species diversity. They concluded the site could not be sustainably harvested. Despite knowing this, the MAC decided to certify the site and the collectors based on an incomplete Collection Area Management Plan (CAMP). They sited an unspecified Catch Rate method of assessment of the site. More recently, MAC proposed to modify their EM standards (water them down).
My point is that there is widespread damage to Philippine and Indonesian coral reefs. There are very few areas that would meet the MAC MACTRAQ standards of sustainability. Even if the aquarium trade did not cause the damage, there is no good justification for allowing harvesting over degraded coral reefs.
The MAC is not the law in these countries. I can only hope that the governments of these countries will wake up to the fact that destructive fishing and other factors are degrading coastal habitats and depleting their fisheries (of all kinds) to the detriment of their citizens. There needs to be rigorous controls on the fisheries, habitat protection, alternative livelihood programs (like mariculture), and reef restoration programs.
We need to recognize that the MAC does not have unlimited funding for net-training. Neither does the IMA. Net-training by itself is not the answer. In fact, it may aggrevate the problem. There are too many collectors in the Philippines and Indonesia. There is overfishing of all kinds (including the aquarium trade). There is widespread use of cyanide by both the aquarium and food fish trades, that must be stopped at all costs. I am tired of dealing with an intrangient aquarium trade and marine hobbyists that don't know or in most cases don't care. If the truth hurts, too bad.
Peter Rubec