The tragedy of cyanide fishing 

Despite appearances, not all fish are equal. Many fish sold on to the international marine aquarium trade have been collected with the assistance of cyanide to stun the fish prior to capture. This destructive fishing practice kills smaller organisms and reef habitats that sustain coastal communities.

Cyanide caught fish may appear healthy on arrival but their gut flora is often irreparably harmed by contact with the collecting chemicals.  These fish may feed for weeks before dying from being unable to digest their food. 

So is there an alternative? 

Yes - ask for hand caughtfish. Hand caught means chemical free and is the corner stone of our approach to environmental best practice. “Hand caught” entails the use of rudimentary equipment, including fine mesh barrier nets for herding; and scoop nets for capturing fish. The fish is then transferred by hand from the scoop or barrier net into an individual container for transfer to the boat. There is no chemical assistance and there is no damage to habitats. Cairns Marine collectors are trained to selectively collect individuals of a species. This means that we do not target the  majority of individuals for collection and we do not return to the same sites over and over again. 

The use of a cyanide solution to stupefy live fish for collection gained popularity for use in the live reef food fish trade and has spread to the aquarium supply industry, particularly in remote island communities in Indonesia and the Philippines. This area is known as the Coral Triangle, and is the heart of marine biodiversity. Village divers are supplied with the poison and other equipment, including boats and basic dive gear by intermediaries who would then expect divers to supply fish continuously to repay the “debt” incurred through the use of the equipment and poison.

The use of cyanide to assist collection in remote tropical island locations has far reaching consequences that range from the immediate affects on coral reef ecosystems to the erosion of traditional cultures. These ‘home reefs’ are central not only to meeting nutritional requirements but are also at the heart of complex belief systems.

The use of chemicals to stun fish prior to capture is not new. However, the use of such an acutely dangerous chemical as cyanide has deadly consequences for smaller reef organisms including corals. Persistent use of cyanide can cause extensive damage to reefs and the species diversity found within.
Aquarium fish caught with the assistance of cyanide may appear to be the same as those caught by hand. However, what the hobbyist and aquarist do not see is the post harvest mortality involved with this type of collection. Not all fish collected in this way survive. Those that do may have trouble digesting their food as their stomach flora is affected by exposure to the chemical and, whilst the animal might feed, it might still die of starvation due to the method of collection.

Insisting on Aussie Hand Caught fish may cost more but they are gauranteed sustainablly harvested without the disastrous impacts on coral reefs and human communities. The fish you buy that carries the Aussie Hand Caught trademark carries a minimal environmental footprint. The cheaper fish that is caught with the assistance of cyanide not only contributes to the degradation of coral reefs but also indirectly contributes to hardships experienced by people in remote coastal villages and even the dilution of cultures as men leave the village in search of employment in cities. The way to avoid the potentially catastrophic effects of cyanide assisted aquarium fish collection is to look for the Aussie Hand Caught trademark and insist on sustainably collected animals from Cairns Marine.