Despite its social and economic benefits, the trade in ornamental species (henceforth, ‘ornamental trade’) has become a major source of non-native fish introductions into freshwater ecosystems. However, the ornamental trade as a vector for introductions of non-native freshwater fishes is not well defined. We developed a framework incorporating elements of the biological invasion process and a typical ornamental fish trade supply chain to fill this gap. Records of non-native ornamental fishes introduced to freshwater environments of Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Canada (British Columbia), China (Guangdong), the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, the United Kingdom (England), and the United States of America (Florida) were reviewed to explore the pervasiveness of these introduced fishes in the wild. These regional case studies confirmed the prominence of the ornamental trade as a global vector for freshwater fish introductions beyond their natural range. Additionally, we examined freshwater fishes associated with the ornamental trade to identify ‘risky’ species that could establish in recipient regions based on climate match. All regions assessed were at risk of new fish introductions via the ornamental trade, with the number of ‘risky’ species ranging from seven to 256. Further, there appears to be taxonomic bias in the freshwater ornamental fish trade, with 74% of the species belonging to just 10 families (of 67). Current prevention and management approaches and associated polices, regulations and legislation on aquatic non-native species within assessed regions fit five general categories: import controls, risk assessment, whitelist, blacklist, and release ban. However, these prevention/management efforts may not be sufficient to reduce the invasion risk associated with the ornamental fish trade. Recommendations including species- and vector-based risk assessments, better recording of species import consignments, increased public education and industry engagement, and early detection and rapid response are discussed in this review.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
October 02 2019
Leaving the fish bowl: the ornamental trade as a global vector for freshwater fish invasions
Farrah T. Chan;
Farrah T. Chan
Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Du Luo;
... Show more
Du Luo
Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Key Laboratory of Recreational Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Advanced Recreational Fisheries, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Hui Wei;
Hui Wei
Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Key Laboratory of Recreational Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Advanced Recreational Fisheries, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Gordon H. Copp
Gordon H. Copp
Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
Salmon & Freshwater Team, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft, Suffolk, U.K.
Centre for Ecology, Environment and Sustainability, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management (2019) 22 (4): 417–439.
Citation
Farrah T. Chan, Stephen J. Beatty, Allan S. Gilles, Jeffrey E. Hill, Sebastian Kozic, Du Luo, David L. Morgan, Richard T. B. Pavia, Thomas W. Therriault, Hugo Verreycken, Lorenzo Vilizzi, Hui Wei, Darren C. J. Yeo, Yiwen Zeng, Grzegorz Zięba, Gordon H. Copp; Leaving the fish bowl: the ornamental trade as a global vector for freshwater fish invasions. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 2 October 2019; 22 (4): 417–439. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14634988.2019.1685849
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Total Views
318
259
Pageviews
59
PDF Downloads
Since 2/1/2021