Aquatic Animals

Coral Reef Fish Welfare

Coral reef fish collected for the aquarium trade experience significant welfare harm through collection, transport and captivity challenges.

Key Facts

An estimated 30-40 million reef fish are collected for the aquarium trade annually
Cyanide poisoning is still used illegally in some collection areas, killing non-target species
Mortality rates during collection, transport and initial captivity are often 50-80%
Captive-bred alternatives now exist for many popular species including clownfish and dottybacks

Welfare Considerations

The suffering of wild-caught reef fish begins at collection — the stress of capture and containment — and continues through transport in small volumes of water. High mortality rates mean that the visible fish in aquarium shops represent the survivors of a process that killed many others. Choosing captive-bred species eliminates reef collection harm while providing fish that adapt better to aquarium conditions.

What You Can Do

Only purchase captive-bred fish for aquarium keeping
Ask your aquarium shop about the origin of their stock
Support certification schemes for sustainably and humanely collected reef fish
Donate to coral reef conservation programs that include collection reform