Washington: The Centre for Biological Diversity has urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to mandate and disclose species-level data for all ornamental fish entering the country for the aquarium trade. In a letter addressed today, the centre emphasizes that maintaining accurate species information in the national database is crucial for implementing conservation measures, particularly for fish facing threats of overexploitation.
A Centre analysis of the Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) database revealed that over a recent 6-year period, more than 387 million ornamental fish were imported for the U.S. aquarium trade without proper disclosure of species names. The LEMIS database serves as a vital resource for wildlife import and export information, supporting scientific research, conservation efforts, and government initiatives to preserve biodiversity, prevent the spread of pathogens, and ensure animal welfare.
However, millions of LEMIS entries for ornamental fish lack specific species names, often identifying them merely as “tropical fish,” “marine,” or “freshwater.”
Dianne DuBois, a scientist at the Centre for Biological Diversity, emphasized the need for more comprehensive data to address conservation challenges. “Some fish targeted by the aquarium trade are highly imperilled, and we can’t protect these species if we don’t even know how many are coming into the country. The government needs to require a species name for every individual specimen, or traders shouldn’t be allowed to bring them in.”
With approximately 2 billion live ornamental fish traded globally each year, the United States holds the distinction of being the world’s largest consumer of ornamental fish. Some species have faced extinction or population decline due in part to trade. However, without accurate and complete data, assessing the full extent of the harm caused by the U.S. trade to a species remains challenging.
Species-level identification is crucial for informed conservation measures, especially for species like Betta cracens, a critically endangered betta fish found only in a single freshwater swamp forest in Sumatra, Indonesia. Despite its critical status, Betta cracens is available for sale in the United States, and the lack of data makes it unclear how many are being imported annually.
Dianne DuBois expressed concern that U.S. consumers may unknowingly contribute to the extinction crisis by acquiring highly imperilled fish for their home tanks. Without accurate information, addressing the United States’ role in the extinction crisis becomes an uphill challenge.
Some aquarium fish species are listed domestically under the Endangered Species Act and internationally under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Accurate species names are essential to ensuring the legality of trade under these regulations. The LEMIS database, developed in part to meet reporting and conservation requirements of wildlife laws, faces limitations in achieving these objectives without species-specific information.
