For those who are always asking for proof...

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Here is a video with some footage of dynamite fishing and even a picture or two of cyanide fishing (1:12). Just thought since every time the subject comes up and literature is not enough to convince people it happens that some images might work. I was at a LFS today and overheard someone talking about how cyanide fishing was a myth...

"Recent studies have shown that the combination of cyanide use and stress of post capture handling results in mortality of up to 75% of the organisms within less than 48 hours of capture. With such high mortality numbers, a greater number of fish must be caught in order to supplement post catch death.

Colourful, particularly eccentric, and therefore rare coral fish are packed into plastic bags; up to two thirds of these fish die during transport. They are mostly sold to aquariums in the US, Europe and Asia. In the 1990s 80% of the western trade in coral fishes alone came from the island of Palawan in the Philippines. Estimates suggest 70 to 90% of aquarium fish exported from the Philippines are caught with cyanide.cite journal|author=McManus, J. W., Reyes, R.B., and Nanola, C.L.|year=1997| title=Effects of some destructive fishing practices on coral cover and potential rates of recovery|journal=Environmental Management| volume=21|issue=1|pages=69–78| doi=10.1007/s002679900006] Due to the post capture handling stress and the effects of the cyanide, fish are bound to have a shorter life span than usual in our aquariums. According to an interview with experienced aquarium owners, they were willing to pay more for net-caught fish because of the higher survival rate. (50% on Canreef based on the poll) cite web | title=A glance at the marine aquarium fish trade in Hong Kong. | work=Tsang, A. | url=http://www.hku.hk/ecology/porcupine/por24/24-vert-fish.htm | accessdate=May 27 | accessyear=2005] They also said they would not trust an eco-labelling system, which can be misleading."


There is an even better video out there somewhere showing footage of cyanide fishing but I can't find it anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO2Hd...eature=related

Dynamite fishing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2cc...eature=related



Good article explaining cyanide fishing (more about fish for food but same principle) :

http://www.cdnn.info/news/article/a030429.html

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_P...ril_bombs.html


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...0/MN232485.DTL

http://www.albionmonitor.com/9608a/dynamitefish.html

Check out the image on Wiki:

Those are some huge dead fish and very damaged corals Wonder how many stunned fish they managed to collect and how many survived until someones aquarium?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blast_fishing

More than 150,000 kg of cyanide is believed to be used in the Philippines annually by the aquarium trade and more than a million kg have been used since the 1960’scite journal| author=Pratt, V.R.|year=1996|title=The growing threat of cyanide fishing in the Asia Pacific Region and the emerging strategies to combat it.| journal=Coastal Management in Tropical Asia| volume=5|pages=9–11] cite journal| author=Barber, C.V., Pratt, R.V.|year=1998| title=Poison and profits: cyanide fishing in the Indo-Pacific|journal=Environment| volume=40| pages=5–34]

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I don't bring this up to start an argument or make people feel guilty for keeping fish but only because it drives me nuts that people still deny it happens. Especially on here.

[Scavenger]

It is truly sad what's happening to the natural world, however, we can't go pointing fingers and telling other countries they are wrong unless we sort out the mess in our own backyard first. Again, truly sad.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

it drives me nuts that people still deny it happens. Especially on here.

I agree 100%. Thanks for taking the time to post this.

[jsmth321]

This hobby is going to have some big changes in my opinion over the decade or 2, and it wont be for the better if we continue the trend we are now.

One thing we consumers can do is to send a message to stores that we will not buy wild caught fish when captive bred are available even if it costs a few dollars more.

False and True percs are 2 species that I don't even think should be taken from the wild at all anymore but some just wont spend the extra money for a captive bred fish.

[fishoholic]

Here's another good related video that explains it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYKLH...eature=related

[spoot]

Where is Cites when you need them? There ought to be better enforcement into matters like these; especially on products/livestock coming into North America and Europe.

[randallino]

+1

[blueyota]

WOW!!!!!!...i never saw anything like that before although iv heard of it ...and hope it comes to stop...even if it means the hobby has to come to an end...myself i think we as people with the power we have together or as a singles we can totally stop this .....or help replace some of it by growing frags in our tanks then taking them and putting them back into our delicate reefs or raising what fish we can and setting the back ....i am really sad to see all this terror we are doing to our oceans we really need to take a few steps back and take a look at the big picture... sorry for the rant ....just needed to say something....

[TheRealBigAL]

We should go find all those dynamite/cyanide fisherman and give em a good canadian Ass Woopin.

Its terrible that nothing in the Philippines is protected. The reefs are not going to last much longer like that