Ethics of wild caught fish vs tank bred

[PuppyFluffer]

I am new to this hobby and have learned the there are tank bred species and wild caught species of fish offered for sale in the hobby.

Are there environmental issues with wild caught fish? Are there habitat disturbences in harvesting these fish?

If one has a choice between tank bred and wild caught fish, which are better from an ethical/sustainable stand point?

Which fish are healtier?

I've not come across much dialog on this topic but I also haven't looked long and hard for it either. What do you all know about this?

 

[gmh]

As a general rule you would be better off going with tank bred fish. But many species are simply not easy to breed in aquaria and so must be gathered from their home waters or bred in large fish farms with similar water parameters.
There are many examples of tropical fish that were harvested to extinctiion and are now available only as farm or tank bred. I like to think the hobby has matured in recent years and wild caught fishes are harvested with a sustained long term yield in mind but of course that is not always the case.

 

[SchizotypalVamp]

Capturing for home aquaria has put pressure on species in the wild. It can cause an environmental disturbance and has in the past.

Beyond that, wild caught speciments often have much more difficulty adjusting to captivity. Shipping and handling is more stressful for them.

They have a higher chance of carrying non-native diseases.

They are not acclimated to a tank.

Species which have been bred for generations in aquaria have a higher chance of surviving in it(though, fancier varieties can be weaker than regular, aka plakat betta vrs halfmoon betta)

In any pet, the captive bred variety will in general be hardier. The one exception to this I have heard is the silver arrowana, apparently the stock has become too inbred.

Think of an african wild cat vrs a domestic house cat, for example.

Many oceanic fish have to be captured, but I have heard they are hardier than fresh(don't know if this is true?). As long as you research the fish and find that it is collected with regulation and that the wild population is not showing any stressors, it's not that bad, if you're going into SW.

 

[OgreMkV]

Many SW species are starting to be tank bred as well.

I's also like to add that, at least in one case, arsenic is injected into the area where the fish will be caught. This stuns them for pickup. This pretty much offends me. (I'ts for otocinclus catfish BTW.)

 

[Inka4040]

There are many examples of tropical fish that were harvested to extinctiion and are now available only as farm or tank bred.

Out of curiosity, could you name a few?

Granted, many fish that are in the aquarium hobby are now rare or extinct in nature, but this has much more to do with habitat destruction than overfishing on part of the aquarium trade.

Other than that, I have to agree in large part with gmh. Tank bred fish are "morally" preferable to wild caught fish, but wild fish have their benefits as well. They tend to be more difficult to get established and to breed in aquaria, but their offspring are often superior to tank bred stock in terms of appearance and genetics, which also makes them valuable for outcrossing. There are reports of shady collecting going on in Asia, but there is also much literature about the sustainable nature of South American harvest practices, namely banning collection of species during their breeding seasons. It is also important to remember that many communities depend on collecting fish for the aquarium trade for their livelihood, which means it's in their best interests to follow sustainable practices.

 

[Lupin]

Out of curiosity, could you name a few?

Name a few..it would include cherry barbs and bala sharks. I don't know if this is true. If I would have ventured their native habitats, I would have obtained proof. At least, these are quite abundant in our fish farms anyway. Any attempts to release them in the wild is not possible anymore. The consequences of introducing foreign bodies to the native flora and fauna should not be ignored.

Granted, many fish that are in the aquarium hobby are now rare or extinct in nature, but this has much more to do with habitat destruction than overfishing on part of the aquarium trade.

Both are still on level. As long as there is a demand for more wild-caught specimens and agricultural or industrial lands, then both will prove to have disastrous consequences. Fortunately, the likes of the Danio margaritatus can be considered a primary example where they were almost reduced to endangered status from overfishing if it weren't for the breeding programs that had proliferated in the attempts of the concerned hobbyists to reduce collection of those fish.

L46-zebra pleco has also been banned for collection due to declining population from overfishing and destruction of native habitats alike. Fortunately, there are a few people who sacrifice their money to breed these stunning fish. We need to think over our decisions before buying a fish. Our decisions often stem to the collection of the fish in the wild due to Law of Supply and Demand.

 

[DAVIDFBT]

I have also heard that African Dwarf Frogs only exist in pet stores and aquarist's tanks.

 

[Danyal]

Fortunately, the likes of the Danio margaritatus can be considered a primary example where they were almost reduced to endangered status from overfishing if it weren't for the breeding programs that had proliferated in the attempts of the concerned hobbyists to reduce collection of those fish.

they were only threatened in the one pond, it was found that the surrounding area had a thriving population and most of it was internet hype and rumor spread around, however the response from aquarists was quite admirable.

L46-zebra pleco has also been banned for collection due to declining population from overfishing and destruction of native habitats alike.

from what i understand what caused the decline in popuplation was that the river where the plecos were found was dammed up and made it much harder to spawn so in order to protect the plecos from overfishing the gov't banned their exportation.

I's also like to add that, at least in one case, arsenic is injected into the area where the fish will be caught. This stuns them for pickup. This pretty much offends me. (I'ts for otocinclus catfish BTW.)

i had no idea that FW fish were sometimes collected this way, i know that the video i've seen of otos being collected was a guy simply walked out to the end of a log with a net to were a ball of them(presumably breeding) were at the surface and scooped them up. i know that cyanide collected has almost completely stopped in SW fish.

Out of curiosity, could you name a few?

red tail sharks and a salamander

Granted, many fish that are in the aquarium hobby are now rare or extinct in nature, but this has much more to do with habitat destruction than overfishing on part of the aquarium trade.

i agree, i think that wild caught fish are fine as long as it is done in a sustainable and non-damaging manner.

 

[khombre]

One type of fish that's in trouble (that I know of) right now is the Arapaima Gigas of the Amazon River. Its numbers are fast dwindling due to overfishing. Adults are usually harvested for food while the small ones are being harvested for the pet trade.

I think certain regulations should be imposed regarding the harvesting for the fish trade since most aquarists won't be able to house them properly anyway due to its large size.

 

[SchizotypalVamp]

Chinese sailfin suckers are also three foot long schooling fish that are endangered in the wild. They have no business being in the pet trade.