Marine Ornamental Aquaculture: Measure Towards Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Promotion

Abstract

Marine ornamental fishes are associated with the coral reef ecosystem, and they possess attractive colours, shapes, behaviours and aesthetic values. In recent days, aquarium tanks with a variety of marine ornamental organisms could be seen in homes, public places and commercial complexes, due to the developments in aquarium technologies. This indicates how this industry has been customized and became a popular hobby around the world. Aquarium business supports significant livelihood for millions of coastal and island communities across the world. Using destructive methods involving explosives and toxic substances (cyanides) for the collection of marine ornamental fishes from coral reefs damage the ecosystem and its biodiversity. Hence, aquaculture of the marine ornamentals would be encouraged as an alternative. The culture of marine ornamental fishes could be elevated from the small-scale backyard system with local coastal and island communities to big scale enterprises, by adopting feasible technologies. This article presents the overview of aquaculture of marine ornamental organisms and marine ornamental trade. The suggestions made here are intended to inform decisions on marine biodiversity conservation and livelihood promotion in coastal and island regions. Marine ornamental fisheries have been projected as an opportunity to sustainably breed marine species for the aquarium trade, while simultaneously generating employment for local communities.