The multibillion-dollar marine aquarium trade has a mixed reputation, with many specimens being captured from the world’s coral reefs. However, a number of pioneers are now farming marine ornamentals offering hope for a venture that benefits both people and planet.
The culture of marine ornamentals including fish, crustaceans and corals for the aquarium hobbyist segment is a $5 billion industry. It is a relatively new sector and is often ignored by mainstream aquaculture producers, yet it pushes the boundaries of aquaculture by exploring the culture of new species and improved culture methods. As well as providing considerable profit margins, it also provides huge opportunities for coastal communities in developing countries.
We interviewed two experts who are leaders in the aquaculture of marine ornamentals. Till Deuss, the founder and CEO of Bocas Mariculture in Panama, focuses on Caribbean fish and invertebrates, while tackling environmental conservation and livelihood generation for local communities. Meanwhile Wen-Ping Su, founder and owner of Bali Aquarich, and a veritable legend in the sector draws on his own experience having founded a hatchery for milkfish, grouper and other food fish in Indonesia, before diversifying into the production of the region’s ornamental marine fish. Wen-Ping is renowned for producing hybrid and pureblood angelfish, plus a variety of extremely colourful customised clownfish. Between them they provide numerous valuable insights into the sector.
Though the production of seafood for human consumption has been in the spotlight for several decades, with investors willing to back a wide range of business proposals, the ornamental aquaculture industry is relatively unknown. This is not because of its lack of potential the global aquarium industry is currently valued at $12 billion and, with a CAGR of 7 percent, is expected to reach almost $20 billion by 2026.
The total sale of ornamental freshwater and marine livestock amounts to an annual global turnover of about $5 billion. In the United States alone, 15 million households own aquaria, with 2.5 million housing marine fish (Springer, 2018). Approximately 20 percent of the total trade consists of marine species.
Although ornamental freshwater fish, such as goldfish and koi, are extensively cultured, particularly in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, marine fish and invertebrates are still mostly caught in the wild. It’s estimated that some 50 million coral reef animals (including fish, corals and other invertebrates) are annually caught and sold to marine aquarium hobbyists.
Most of the popular marine ornamentals hail from warm tropical regions such as Southeast Asia (particularly the Philippines and Indonesia), the Caribbean and the Red Sea. In the past, many were caught using destructive fishing methods like sodium cyanide. However, hand-net fishing initiatives and better management practices have fortunately changed the seascape.
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