Proposal to list the Banggai cardinal in Appendix II CITES

[Mike King]

FYI

On January 4, 2007, United States submitted a proposal to the Convention on the Trade in International Species of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat to list the Banggai cardinalfish Pterapogon kauderni on Appendix II of CITES.

A little more info is at;

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/ead/whatsnew.htm


Mike

 

[Anonymous]

FYI here's a another thread on it by a gentlemen highly involved with it

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthrea ... id=1010524

 

[dizzy]

"Harvest and trade first began in 1995, and has increased to an estimated 700,000-900,000 fish/yr."

Wow those figures are like Deja Vu all over again back to the Coralmania days. Are they really accurate, or just an over inflated estimate. That's like 2,400 of them being collected every day, 365 days a year. Wow.
Mitch

 

[Anonymous]

"Harvest and trade first began in 1995, and has increased to an estimated 700,000-900,000 fish/yr."

Wow those figures are like Deja Vu all over again back to the Coralmania days. Are they really accurate, or just an over inflated estimate. That's like 2,400 of them being collected every day, 365 days a year. Wow.
Mitch

How can I get a regal? I'm so envious every time I see your avatar Mitch.

I want some bangai cardinals too.

 

[dizzy]

Crissy,
Finding Red Sea Regals shouldn't be all that hard. Getting one that eats is often more difficult. Wild Bagaii cardinals are easy to find. ORA is also raising some in limited numbers. Hopefully you have a decent local store that can try and help you find them. And if not one of the dropshipping etailers can most certainly get them for you.
Regards,
Mitch

 

[sdcfish]

If the fish is not being collected sustainably, then the best thing to happen would be to have the fish listed on cites so quotas can be set.

The local fisheries can implement quotas to get the ball rolling, and maybe avoid the inevitable government regulation.

Then again.....I suppose we could limit our purchasing of these cardinals and just buy less of them....but the reality is that it would hurt our business as others would just take advantage......something has to give!



Regards....

 

[dizzy]

Eric,
I agree with you. If the Bangaii's are not being harvested sustainably then they should be put on Appendix II of CITES. If you don't mind my asking...............about how many do you sell a year. Also about what would be your DOA/DAA of this species? Thanks,
Mitch

 

[sdcfish]

Mitch,

I don't mind at all......

I think we average about 500 per week. More in some weeks, less in others. If it's a gage, I think we are about 10% of the industry....so maybe it's possible that the industry is handling 5000 per week or more on average. Sounds not that far from reality.

Our doa's have varied.....and we have a strict handling policy on banner cardinals that they can't be rough housed.....no more than 3 per net, when collecting them from the aquariums or placing them in the aquariums after a 24 hour medication acclimation quarantine.

I would say our in house doa is 2% - 7% weekly on these fish. We probably have another 2% doa during shipping....they used to come up on the shipment doa reports more, but less over the last year or so due to what believe is directly credited to better handling by our staff.

Not to mention, we feed the heck out of these guys....cyclops and brine on a multiple daily basis......bottle fed all day long...literally!

I would suggest a local fisheries quota first, then if they can't get the few licensed fisheries to cooperate, then as a last resort, cites II.

A simple suggestion would be for the exporters to raise the price, causing the market to slow down on volume. A wholesale price of $5.00 or less is just too cheap for such an indemic fish (imo). Not sure how to control that or even if possible.

Best regards.

 

[sdcfish]

Mitch,

I don't mind at all......

I think we average about 500 per week. More in some weeks, less in others. If it's a gage, I think we are about 10% of the industry....so maybe it's possible that the industry is handling 5000 per week or more on average. Sounds not that far from reality.

Our doa's have varied.....and we have a strict handling policy on banner cardinals that they can't be rough housed.....no more than 3 per net, when collecting them from the aquariums or placing them in the aquariums after a 24 hour medication acclimation quarantine.

I would say our in house doa is 2% - 7% weekly on these fish. We probably have another 2% doa during shipping....they used to come up on the shipment doa reports more, but less over the last year or so due to what believe is directly credited to better handling by our staff.

Not to mention, we feed the heck out of these guys....cyclops and brine on a multiple daily basis......bottle fed all day long...literally!

I would suggest a local fisheries quota first, then if they can't get the few licensed fisheries to cooperate, then as a last resort, cites II.

A simple suggestion would be for the exporters to raise the price, causing the market to slow down on volume.


Best regards.

 

[PeterIMA]

I would say that what is needed is to ensure that cyanide is not used to collect Banggai cardinals. The stress of them being transported by long boats back to Jakarta or Bali for up to 15 days also accounts for the high mortality experienced BEFORE they get to export facilities. So, to some degree I agree with Eric. Enforcement of laws in Indonesia is necessary for a sustainable fishery.

Peter Rubec

 

[Jaime Baquero]

Eric,

Thanks for sharing that information. It gives a good idea idea about the trade of Banggai cardinalfish in Norh America. To those numbers we add the trade numbers for Europe and Asia, and more important, the mortality at community level and exporters facilities. Is evident that Banggai cardinalfish is being overcollected and should be included in Appendix II of CITES before is too late. It would be a good opportunity for the industry to show signs that it could regulate itself.

Can you as importer bring down your imports of Banggai to half? or what number you think could be your contribution to protect the species?

 

[PeterIMA]

Most of us are aware that Banggai Cardinalfish are endemic to the Banggai Islands off of Sulawesi, Indonesia. They are mouth brooders and have a low fecundity (Vagelli 1999, 2002; Vagelli and Erdmann 2002).

Several studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of the aquarium fish fishery for Banggai Cardinalfish (Sadovy and Vincent 2002, Lunn and Moreau 2004). Vagelli and Erdmann (2002) estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 Banggai cardinals arrived in N. Sulawesi from the Banggai Islands each month for export. Lunn and Moreau (2004) estimated from interviewing collectors that at least 118,000 banggai cardinals were being sold in the Banggai region per month during the study period (March to April 2001). There appeared to be a large discrepancy with the numbers of Banggai cardinals reported being imported. The Global Marine Aquarium Database (GMAD) maintained by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center indicated there were only 10,307 Banggai cardinalfish imported from Indonesia in 2001 worldwide. Even assuming a very high mortality rate (85%) from time of capture to import, at least 17,000 fish should be on record as having arrived at aquarium wholesalers from Indonesian exporters in a single month of 2001 (Lunn and Moreau 2004).

Ferdinand Cruz and Ruwi (Indonesian) have commented that the high mortality occurs because the fish are captured using cyanide, are stressed by being crowded in plastic bags and handled, and are not fed for up to 15 days while being transported on long boats from the Banggai Islands back to Bali and Jakarta.

Peter Rubec

Lunn, K.E. and M.-A. Moreau (2004) Unmonitored trade in marine ornamental fishes: the case of Indonia's Bangaii cardinalfish (Pteropogon kaudneri). Coral Reefs 23: 344-351.

Sadovy, Y.J. and A.C.J. Vincent (2002) Ecoregional issues and the trades in live reef fishes. In:Sale, P.F. (ed). Coral reef fishes: dynamics and diversity in a complex ecosystem. Academic Press, Dan Diego, pp. 391-420.

Vagelli, A. (1999) The reproductive biology and early ontongeny of the mouthbrooding Banggai cardinalfish, Pteropogon kaudneri (Perciformes, Apogonidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 56: 79-92.

Vagelli, A. (2002) Notes onthe biology, geographic distribution, and conservation status of the Banggai cardinalfish Pteropogon kaudneri Koumans 1933 with comments on captive breeding techniques. Tropical Fish Hobbyist 51: 84-88.

Vagelli, A. and M.V. Erdmann (2002) First comprehensive ecological survey of the Banggai cardinalfish, Pteropogon kaudneri. Environmental Biology of Fishes 63(1):1-

 

[sdcfish]

Jaime,

The problem with us lowering our purchases, just means that we would give the sales to other competitors that have them.

The solutions are easy.....just limit how many can be exported each week. Give quotas to each licensed exporter. This will be an immediate impact and without placing the cardinals on cites.

I believe that it can be done without listing them as endangered.....they just need management. Fortunately, there is cites that may have to step in....but let's try to set some quotas before that happens.

So the million dollar question is: Who would set the quotas, and how do you communicate that qty to the collectors and exporters?

Sounds like the banner cardinal mission has begun...hope it's not too late....don't think it is.

Best regards....

 

[PeterIMA]

Eric, While I think that quotas make some sense, better handling and tranport to reduce the mortality prior to fish reaching the exporters appears to be needed. By cutting the mortality fewer fish would need to be collected to meet the present demand worldwide.

Peter

 

[Tropic]

I think that price needs to be elevated. You can not expect any of the fishermen or middlemen in manado to deliver a better quality of fish for the price they have been getting paid. There is air service out of Manado...Garuda, yet boat transport is preferred....and unfortunately, it is bad for the fish because of time, hot temps and overcrowding. They should be packed up, and sent out quickly by plane to their hub(Bali, Jakarta)

This will never happen as long as wholesalers and importers keep demanding low prices. I have personally been price checked on Bangaiis too many times to count, and the funny thing is that all retailers can do is complain about why all the bangaiis die. In my opinion, this fish should be farm raised in Indonesia, and in fact i suspect that they are already. Retailers will pay up to 10 dollars a fish but that is on the high side, most only want to pay 5 and expect the world.

 

[sdcfish]

Peter,

In our case....doa's are not really a major issue. We are able to sell 95% or more of the ones we receive....but I understand that doesn't count the ones lost at sea or during transport.

I still think it makes most sense to limit the amount allowed to export per week...month....year.

How would one accomplish setting a limit?

Mike....

I don't think you can rely on the industry to raise prices....it's too complex. I agree that the handling needs to improve, but it still seems too logical just to set some limits/quotas.

Again...thanks for bringing up the subject.

 

[Anonymous]

Crissy,
Finding Red Sea Regals shouldn't be all that hard. Getting one that eats is often more difficult. Wild Bagaii cardinals are easy to find. ORA is also raising some in limited numbers. Hopefully you have a decent local store that can try and help you find them. And if not one of the dropshipping etailers can most certainly get them for you.
Regards,
Mitch

Thanks Mitch!

 

[PeterIMA]

Eric, Assuming Banggai cardials were put on Appendix 2 of CITES, they could still be exported. I am not sure that it would be possible to enforce quotas. Any idea how this could be implemented?

Peter

 

[Anonymous]

Just like CITES does with coral everyday Peter. By the invoice.

 

[Jaime Baquero]

Eric,

No doubt that mortality at collection points and handling and holding techniques at collectors level is a big issue.

We know how difficult if not impossible is going to be to set up "quotas" for collectors and exporters in Indonesia. Corruption, lack of education and poverty are the problems any initiative is going to face, we know very well that those problems do not mix with environmental concerns.

Collectors and exporters in Indonesia know for many years that cyanide is a bad thing to use, however they keep using it every single day. They also know that mishandling and "misholding" fish are causes of high mortality, but they do not care. Decades of inaction with negative results on coral reefs and fish populations. Lets do something different, help to protect the Banggai cardinalfish, push to lower the demand from this side of the pond. There are good reasons to do it. Right?

This is going to be a good example of how the industry reacts to these serious issues.