The marine aquarium trade captures millions of wild fish annually using methods that cause significant mortality and welfare harm. Sustainable alternatives are increasingly available.
The marine aquarium trade causes welfare harm at multiple points in the supply chain. Cyanide fishing exposes fish to a toxic substance that causes acute distress and internal organ damage before they are collected alive. Transport involves multiple handling events, changes in water temperature and chemistry, and crowded holding conditions over days to weeks. Fish that survive the journey often live brief lives in home aquariums that cannot replicate reef habitat complexity. Many aquarium fish species are highly territorial, socially complex, or have specialized dietary needs that cannot be met in captivity. The welfare case for preferring captive-bred fish when available, supporting net-catch regulations, and avoiding species with poor captive welfare records is strong.