The marine aquarium trade captures millions of tropical reef fish annually using methods that cause significant welfare harm and mortality throughout the supply chain.
Tropical marine fish suffer at every stage of the aquarium supply chain. Collection using cyanide causes organ damage that manifests as delayed mortality weeks after apparently normal behaviour. Transport in inadequate water quality causes hypoxia, ammonia toxicity and temperature stress. Retail holding conditions frequently fail to meet the species-specific requirements of diverse tropical fish. The majority of collected fish die before reaching a home aquarium. Surviving fish face the challenge of unfamiliar captive environments that bear no relationship to their reef habitat. The cumulative welfare burden across the supply chain for each fish that reaches a tank is enormous.