New hysteria in Australia

[clarionreef]

Contact
Alison Jones
Jan 2007
Email: 
[email protected]
Are ‘nemo’s’ cousins the first victims of climate change?

IF YOU CARE ABOUT CONSERVATION OF OUR MARINE FISH SPECIES THEN YOU SHOULD READ THIS BROCHURE
‘Nemo’ the clownfish is in serious jeopardy following repeated coral bleaching events in the Keppel region.
‘Nemo’ (Amphiprion ocellaris) doesn’t live in the Keppel region but his cousins, four other types of clownfish do, and their future is now in question because of the effects of climate change from increased sea water temperatures.
ANEMONES CAN BLEACH JUST LIKE CORALS
Clownfish live in a mutural symbiosis with anemones on the reef slopes in the Keppels. The anemone has thousands of photosynthetic algae that produce energy for survival. When a bleaching event occurs, the algae are expelled and the anemone turns ghostly white. Just like corals when they bleach.


BLEACHING EVENTS IN THE KEPPELS
There have been three serious bleaching events in the Keppel in the past 5 years. The loss of over 47% of hard corals has also affected lots of fish species that depend on the coral for food and shelter.
DECLINES IN FISH SPECIES
Studies have shown that the numbers of some aquarium fish species in the Keppel region have declined up to 50% in the past year.
AQUARIUM COLLECTION
There are 9 licenses operators that harvest aquarium species (fish and coral) in the Keppel region. In spite of the regulations imposed on other fishing groups, there are no restrictions on the aquarium harvest fishery except the GBRMPA zoning rules.
LIVE AQUARIUM EXPORT OF OUR NATIVE SPECIES
Fish and anemones that are harvested in the Keppel region are being sold to local aquariums and exported overseas, mostly to America.
CLOWNFISH MAY BE ENDANGERED
Of all aquarium species collected, the anemones and clownfish are the most endangered because of their special symbiotic partnership. The anemone is the only place that the clownfish can inhabit so loss or reduction in the size of the anemone (from bleaching) can also reduce the numbers of fish and their reproductive success.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
So far, a survey of the anemones and clownfish around Great Keppel Island has found major declines of these species on bleached and collected reefs.
This is of great concern and further research is planned to determine if this trend will continue.
In the meantime we can reduce other impacts on these species such as aquarium collection.
A group of concerned residents are attempting to lobby the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to suspend further collection of aquarium fish species in the Keppels until the reefs recover from the bleaching events.
8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O

Well, what was it?
Was it a few fish collectors OR global warming on a mega scale?
Steve

 

[StevenPro]

On a related note from http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... public_rss

Fishers to stop clowning with Nemo's habitat

Padraic Murphy

December 20, 2007

NORTH Queensland commercial aquarium fishers are still able to find Nemo, but now they'll have to leave him alone.

Under a groundbreaking voluntary agreement between commercial operators and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the sought-after clown fish and anemones will no longer be caught at reefs off Keppel Island, near Rockhampton.

Lyle Squire, a commercial fisher and industry representative whose family has run aquariums in Cairns and fished the reef since the 1960s, said the moratorium was a precautionary measure to allow habitats, affected by coral bleaching, the best chance to recover.

The agreement was reached after several outbreaks of coral bleaching on reefs near Keppel Island reduced the numbers of sea anemones in which the fish lived and threatened the valuable tourist industry.

"We recognise the importance of these fish to the tourism industry," Mr Squire said.

"People come from all over the world to snorkel the Keppels, so we are happy to exercise our stewardship and stop taking clown fish from those reefs."

Although most clown fish sold in aquariums were bred in captivity, their popularity, particularly overseas, meant Queensland's 30 or so commercial aquarium fishers still caught them in the wild.

"There is a real worry that, because of climate change, they will become less common on the reef and that will be a tragedy, not just for us, but for all users of the reef," Mr Squire said.

The agreement to protect wild clown fish has been welcomed by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

"This strategy is an important step towards effective co-management of this small but economically valuable fishery," department spokeswoman Brigid Kerrigan said.

"We will continue to work with the industry to achieve the best outcomes for sustainability and economic productivity."

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said voluntary agreements between government and commercial operators would help protect the reef from climate change, which some experts say could destroy the reef in decades.

"(This agreement) forms part of a wider strategy to adapt to the effects of climate change," the authority's Bruce Wallner said.

"Such an initiative is probably a world first in addressing this growing problem."

Under the agreement, commercial aquarium fishers will collect data about fish populations and provide the information to state authorities.

 

[vaporize]

Who are these aussies joking?

There is only one or two types of clownfish (A.akindyno and A.latzonatus) that are collected and send over to Americas. Nobody will pay for normal orange ocellaris for the landed cost from Australia.

I have not seen a single Australian anemone come in with any of the 20 something Australia shipments either.... did they do any real research?

 

[naesco]

Interesting that the Australian marine industry would voluntarily enter into an agreement with the government to protect the reef, anenome and clownfish. Cheers for the Aussies.

And the US marine industry does nothing but howls in lawful protest when the government tries to step in. :roll:

 

[clarionreef]

There are no ocellaris in the area and the answer is no...the Austalian counterpart to Snorkle Bob does not do research.
Its a premeditated lie to link the local clowns with Nemo for a great eco-paparazzi buzz.
Steve
PS.
Wayne,
The Australian Govt has already stepped in and put 80% of their fish collectors out of business.

 

[rgbmatt]

The US industry, justifiably, protests when special interest groups try to shut us down under false pretenses.

 

[IconicAquariums]

On an Aussie nemo related note some 100+ breeding pairs of Wild Black Ocellaris were collected in recent weeks. The price is not for the faint of heart.