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| Destruction of Coral Reefs in Indonesia by the use |
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| of Cyanide to catch tropical fish for export |
In the above picture a marine biologist inspects
coral reefs damaged by legal fishing practices. In October, marine scientists meeting in Bali warned that more than a
quarter of the world's coral reefs had been destroyed by pollution, global warming and poor fishing prctices, including the
use of cyanide.
(Photo: AP - "The Caymanian Compass",
1 December 2000.
CYANIDE USED TO CATCH PET TROPICAL FISH IN INDONESIA
The following is an article that appeared in the
"Environment" section of "The Caymanian Compass"
on 1 December 2000.
"Nusa Dua, Indonesia (AP) - Ever wondered
why some of the tropical salt-water fish you bought at the pet shop died so soon?
Chances are, a diver in Indonesea or
the Philipines caught them by first squirting cycanide into the water, which stuns the fish and allows them to be easily scooped
into a net.
After a few days, a fish usually appears to recover. It is then exported to the United States, Europe and
elsewhere to be sold in pet stores for anything up to US$400.
After a month or two, though, traces of cyanide in the fish's
system often attack its liver, eat away at its digetive tract and corrode its respiratory system, until it dies.
But not
only does cyanide irreversibly poison the fish it's used on, the toxin also damages the ocean environment, killing other marine
life.
So widespred is the problem that 1,000 environmentalists, marine biologists and pet-fish collectors have set up
a worldwide organisation - the Marine Aquarium Council - to try to eradicate the illegal practice.
Up to 20 million tropical
salt-water fish are sold in the United States every year, said Paul Holthus, head of the Honolulu-based group. Not all are
poisoned, but many are, he said.
'Fish buyers are unknowingly contributing to the destruction of coral reefs and marine
ecosystems,' he said.
Marine scientists meeting on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali warned recently that more than a
quarter of the world's coral reefs had been destroyed by pollution, global warming and poor fishing practices, including the
use of cyanide.
They said that unless urgent measures are taken, the remaining coral reefs may be dead within 20 years.
Mark Erdman, a San Franscisco marine biologist who has long worked in Indonesia, said almost all aquarium-bound fish caught
in Indonesia are poisoned.
Fishermen often store the cyanide in cans on the ocean floor to escape detection by authorities.
They then dissolve a cyanide tablet in water in a plastic bottle. The deadly mixture is then squirted at schools of fish living
around coral outcrops.
Holthus said cyanide is also used widely in the Philippines.
Aquarium fish from the two cuntries
account for much of the tropical salt-water fish imported by the United States and Europe, he said.
The international
aquarium fish trade is worth about
$1 billion a year, experts said.
Comatose
In two warehouses
on Bali, hundreds of brightly coloured fish float in small dirty tanks, waiting to be packaged in water-filled plastic bags
and flown out of the country. Clown tiger fish, with bright yellow lips, sharp teeth and pink dorsal fins, lie on their sides
seemingly comatose from cyanide.
Holthus said the use of poison is limited to only some tropical salt water varieties.
More popular fresh water fish mostly come from commercial fish ponds and are chemical-free.
He said that by reforming
the salt water segment of the industry, the welfare of marine life could be improved and healthier fish would be provided
for collectors.
Walt Smith, a businessman from Los Angeles who exports live fish from Fiji, said the problem is not as
widespread as some fear. He said all the fish he sends to the United Sates are caught without poison.
The marine council
plans to start monitoring fish exported from various parts of the world to ensure tht they have not been caught by divers
using cyanide and that they are handled professionally. Fish buyers in the United States and Europe will be able to look for
Marine Aquarium Council-certified fish in certain pet shops by the end of next year.
"We will test everything from the
reef to the retailer," Holthus said.
Mike King, a pet-fish retiler from Grand Rapids, Michigan, said everyone will be
a winner if environmentally sound fish-collection prctices are observed.
"Most consumers want to do the right thing for
the environment and the fish," he said. "They are prepared to pay a little more for it."
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