For Immediate Release,
April 22, 2021
Contact:
Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institute, (202) 446-2128, margie@awionline.org
Kerry Skiff, Defenders of Wildlife, (202) 772-0253, kskiff@defenders.org
U.S. Wildlife Officials Petitioned to Ban Import, Sale of Banggai Cardinalfish
Threatened by Aquarium Trade, Indonesian Fish Has Declined by Up to 90%
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups filed a petition today urging the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to ban the import and sale of threatened Banggai cardinalfish from Indonesia.
The Banggai cardinalfish, a coral reef inhabitant known for its bold black bands and white-speckled fins, has seen its numbers plummet by as much as 90% since the 1990s, due to decades of overexploitation by the aquarium trade. The United States has long been a major importer of the cardinalfish and is the world’s largest importer of coral reef wildlife overall, responsible for about 60% of the global market.