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View site #952 > ScoreCard for survey #1 > Issue
Introduction | Identification | Impacts | Causes | Actions | More Info
Identification
The Reef Check Survey covers several questions that may help identify whether the live reef food fish trade is a problem at your site. These questions include: low abundance of barramundi cod, grouper (>30cm), humphead wrasse, parrotfish (>20cm), and lobster; and the perceived level of fishing for the live food fish trade.
The questions below will help to ensure that you have accurately identified the live reef food fish trade as an issue affecting local reefs.
Are specific indicator species like barramundi cod, grouper (>30cm), humphead wrasse, parrotfish (>20cm) and/or lobster absent or in low numbers? These species in particular are targeted by fishers for the live reef food fish trade. Low levels of these species and/or few larger-sized adults may be an indication that the live food fish trade is an issue at your site.
Did you observe evidence of poison fishing at your site? The use of cyanide is prevalent in the live fish trade for both live food fish and marine ornamental trades. Evidence of poison fishing includes dead and bleached corals as well as observations of fishers using squirt bottles to stun fish.
Are there fish pens where live fish are being held? Fish pens are an indication that the live food fish trade is occurring in you area, whether for local consumption in restaurants or for export. In addition, juvenile reef fish may be kept in these pens until they reach a marketable size.
Are there local export businesses that participate in the live reef food fish trade? The presence of local businesses that are set up to handle and ship live fish overseas is a clear indication that the live food fish trade is occurring. In fishing villages, the abundance of styrofoam containers, plastic bags, and oxygen tanks could be indicators as well. |  | | Plectropomus spp. in live fish cages.
Location: Bone Tambung, Indonesia
Photo by: M.V. Erdmann
(from ReefBase: http://www.reefbase.org) |
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