Aquatics - Sourcing of Fish

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Sources of Fish

  • Importers: export the fish from where the fish are native and export them to other countries
  • Wholesalers: big warehouses of fish, importers may export fish to the wholesalers, will buy fish in bulk to make it cheaper
  • Specialist breeders: people that know a lot about their specific species and will be breeding those certain types of fish
  • Fish farms: more often for fish for eating, breeding fish on an industrial scale.
  • Hobbyists: may potentially breed fish and sell them on as they may run out of room.
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Importers

  • catch the fish
    • can have an impact on natural habitat and the individual and species itself
  • depends on collections methods
  • consider distance travelled and conditions
    • may travel long distances
    • need to have 24 to 48 hours of oxygen and clear water, if there are any delays there could be problems
    • may have less fish per box when transporting fish for better welfare
  • issues with transportation
  • supports local communities
  • harmful to the environment
    • harvesting animals from the wild or certain collection methods could be detrimental to the environment
  • SeaLife is working with sources to sustainably catch fish as well as helping out communities.
  • Higher carbon footprint than other methods.
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Cyanide Fishing

  • Illegal to fish this way
  • bottles filled with cyanide will be blasted over the coral reef
    • some fish die, but most will be stunned so they are easier to catch
    • can kill the coral
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Dynamite

  • dynamite is used to stun the fish but destroys the entire reef
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Wholesale

  • supply the pet shops
  • large amounts of fish
    • will often be bare as this is easier to clean and change fish within the tank
    • can be stressed due to the moving and lack of enrichment and hiding
  • lots of experience
    • will often have a good knowledge of fish disease and how to care for fish
  • stressful environment
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Fish Farms

  • potentially less pressure on wild populations
  • create employment
    • jobs caring for the fish
  • might limit overfishing
  • low running costs
  • potentially water pollution
    • can have a dead zone underneath the fish farm
  • spread of disease
  • limited gene pools
    • limited population size
    • potential for inbreeding, especially if only the dominant members breed
    • the point is to breed a lot of fish quickly
  • doesn't necessarily have no impact on wild populations
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Specialist Breeders

  • should understand the needs of the species
    • generally, won't breed unless the needs are met
  • lower carbon footprint
    • if the specialist breeder is in your country
  • sustainable
  • needs to be checked out and approved
    • public aquariums held to a higher welfare standard, so you need to check the breeders are keeping the fish at that standard
  • little marine options
    • there are some marine options
  • will often be their main income for breeding
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Hobbyists

  • cheap
  • lower carbon footprint
  • potential for inbreeding
    • hard to know which fish are the parents
  • spread of disease
  • encourages the keeping of home aquariums
    • may be encouraged to become breeders if they think there is money in it
  • fish may come from tanks with pests in them
  • hobbyists may not know as much fish behaviour so offspring could be aggressive with parents that leads to fish being killed
  • could decrease the amount of wild fish caught
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