A Green Blog (by DeBass Recycling)

Tropical fish make great pets because of their beautiful colors and exotic looks, but did you know that some tropical fish are caught using methods that are bad for the environment?

The two most aggregious methods are “poison fishing” and “blast fishing”.  Poison fishing is most popular in Bali and the Philippines.  In poison fishing, divers squirt cyanide into a coral reef to disorient the fish and then saw into the coral and grab them - leaving the coral and the other fish to die.  In blast fishing, divers throw a stick of dynamite into the reef to stun the fish.  The diver captures the disoriented fish and leaves behind a dying coral reef, disrupted swimming patterns, destroyed eco-systems and multiple dead fish.  Unlike poison fishing, blast fishing is illegal - this however doesn’t stop people from doing it.

As a result of detrimental tropical fish harvesting like the aforementioned methods and a host of other poor environmental practices, 25% of the world’s coral reefs are dead or dying and an additional 30% are in immediate danger of the same fate. The death of coral reefs affects the many countries who depend on the reefs for food, livelihood and medicine.  In fact, many of today’s AIDS and cancer medicines are made from coral reefs.  Additionally, coral reefs serve as the backbone of the ocean - protecting the coast from sunamis and flooding.

SOLUTION:

Considering purchasing fish from businesses that are MAC (Marine Aquarium Council) certified.  Businesses that are a part of this organization are aligned to collecting tropical fish under the most sustainable methods possible.