Press Release:
Humphead wrasse: coral reef fish gains
trade protection at CITES
12 October, Bangkok, Thailand... Member nations
of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) Tuesday approved
regulating trade in Humphead Wrasse, a giant coral
reef fish threatened by the luxury food trade in Asia.
"Humphead Wrasse is an increasingly popular luxury
item in restaurants in Hong Kong and China, and the
trade - both legal and illegal - has become
Juvenile Humphead Wrasse on
unsustainable," said Clarus Chu of WWF. "In most
display outside restaurants.
areas that scientists have studied, populations are in
© Liu Min
decline - sometimes by up to 90 percent. Humphead
Wrasse grow slowly and are often caught as juveniles, before they've had a
chance to reproduce, and could soon be lost from some areas. So this listing is
crucial to protect the species from uncontrolled trade."
Adding Humphead Wrasse to Appendix II of CITES allows trade to continue, but
requires importing and exporting countries to ensure that trade is sustainable
and legal.
"Currently, national laws governing trade in Humphead Wrasse vary widely,"
said Anna Willock, Senior Fisheries Advisor with TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade
monitoring network of WWF and IUCN-The World Conservation Union.
"Because most trade in the species is international, international trade protection
is essential."
Humphead Wrasse are patchily distributed in reefs across the Indo-Pacific
region. The distinctive species, also known as the Napoleon Wrasse, can live up
to 30 years. Adult wrasses are often electric blue in color and are the largest
coral reef fish in the world, growing to more than two metres long and 190 kilos.
Wrasse are mainly caught live for the food trade, often with the use of cyanide,
which threatens their coral reef habitat. The wrasse's lips are especially soughtafter as delicacies in upscale restaurants.
© Traffic International 2004