The Sustainable Choice

Cairns Marine’s best practice policy combines chemical-free hand collecting with low impact selective harvesting from healthy populations at sustainable levels.

Despite appearances, not all fish are equal. Many fish sold in the international marine aquarium trade have been collected using cyanide to stun the fish prior to capture. This destructive fishing practice kills many smaller organisms and degrades the reef habitats that sustain coastal communities. Cyanide caught fish may appear healthy but their gut microbiota 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.

There is an alternative - ask for Aussie Hand Caught Fish!

Hand caught means chemical free

Cairns Marine is an enthusiastic proponent of a well managed coral collection fishery. For over two decades we have been delighting aquarists with our capacity to supply vibrantly coloured, premium quality pieces sustainably harvested from our regulated coral collection industry. Our highly selective approach is by-catch free and governed by a set of standards that ensure over-collection does not occur. We call it stewardship and it is one of our guiding principles.

Cairns Marine offers customers a sustainable choice when making an aquarium purchase. We set the benchmark for world’s best practice in the sustainable hand collection and handling of marinelife for aquaria. That’s why we created the ‘Aussie hand caught' trademark so people can confidently make a sustainable choice with their next purchase.

Collected with Care