Ok, this isn't 100% shell related, but anything that affects prime
mollusc habitat, such as reefs, is of concern to malacologists and
conchologists......

http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12452

March 26, 2007 — By Nao Nakanishi, Reuters

HONG KONG -- Turquoise fish with red dots stare at hungry tourists from
a tank at a restaurant in Hong Kong, the capital of the world's live
reef fish industry, a lucrative trade devastating reefs across the
Pacific Ocean.

Considered a delicacy, demand for coral fish has exploded in line with
China's booming economy and some species such as the humphead wrasse are
already endangered.

"You may not be able to eat it in 4 to 5 years, whatever money you pay.
This is the favourite among people from mainland China," said a fish
merchant, who gave his name only as Chen.

Restaurant fish tanks in Hong Kong are filled with exotic fish species
gathered from all around Southeast Asia, Australia and even remote
Pacific islands, such as Fiji and Vanuatu.

With the marine stock already exhausted in nearby waters, Hong Kong
traders are reaching far and wide for increasingly rare fish such as
groupers, snappers and humphead wrasse, spreading the unsustainable
fishing habit across the Pacific.

"Basically it's been like a vacuum cleaner across the region," said Andy
Cornish, director for conservation at the WWF Hong Kong. "Reefs near
Hong Kong were depleted decades ago, and the trade has moved further and
further away to source fish."

Biologists say reef fish are highly vulnerable to overfishing as they
need 5-10 years before reaching breeding age, and the trade is difficult
to manage because the fishing is mostly on a small scale, done by rural
communities.

"Demand for many reef fishes is just too high ... Wild populations will
continue to decline, if nothing is done because the fisheries are
typically unmanged," said Yvonne Sadovy, associate professor at the
University of Hong Kong.

"China is where the demand for live reef fish is particularly heavy, and
where it is also expected to grow ... A lot of the reef fish that come
into Hong Kong are re-exported into China," said the marine biologist.

Early this month, the IUCN World Conservation Union issued a warning
that 20 species of grouper --- a delicacy often served at Chinese
banquets -- were threatened with extinction unless conservation measures
were introduced.

MARINE GHOST TOWN, CYANIDE

Large parts of reefs in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are
becoming void of marine life as a result of overfishing and the use of
cyanide to catch fish alive.

Though illegal, many fishermen use cyanide, an exceptionally damaging
and wasteful way to catch the fish, which hide amongst the coral, marine
experts say.

The divers squirt the toxin in the reef to stun the fish. But that kills
most other marine life, including coral. Only about a quarter survive to
make it to restaurants, experts say.

"We did two days of wild diving far from any civilisation. Not a single
fish was to be seen, not one," Charles Frew told Reuters after a trip to
near Leyte in the Philippines last month.

"I was shocked, more than anything ... It's got strong currents,
beautiful blue water. There are some bits of nice coral. But there's
nothing," said the director of Asiatic Marine, a company specialising in
marine surveys and underwater filming.

While many live fish arrive in planes, many also come in on specially
designed vessels. Hong Kong traders travel through thousands of islands
in Indonesia, Malaysia or the Philippines, collecting the prized fish
alive from local fishermen.

Humphead wrasse, also known as Napoleon wrasse, commands as much as $200
a kilo. A blue adult can reach more than two meters and weigh 200 kg
(440 lb).

"That's a lot of money for a fisherman," said George Woodman, a director
of conservation group Teng Hoi. "You can get a lot of people to move for
that money ... The search is very big."

Asked how wide spread cyanide was, Reinhard Renneberg, chemistry
professor from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said:
"I believe almost all big, undamaged fish are caught with cyanide."

"Cyanide in fish is no longer harmful for people ... It would be nice,
if you could say you'd get big health problems, if you eat this fish,"
said Renneberg, who has developed a testing device for cyanide in live fish.

SLOW HONG KONG RESPONSE

An official from the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Department (AFCD) said it had no plans to check cyanide in imported
fish, which could help stem cyanide use.

But it took the first step in December to manage the trade in a reef
fish by requiring import licences for humphead wrasse, the only coral
fish listed as potentially threatened by the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

"This is really a test case," said Cornish from WWF. "If all the
countries like the Philippines or Indonesia start developing a
management plan for that species, that would be fantastic."

In December, Manila arrested about 30 Chinese fishermen suspected of
poaching. Their ship Hoi Wan was carrying more than 300 live humphead
wrasse consigned for Hong Kong.

Cheung Chisun, a senior Hong Kong official in charge of endangered
species, said thousands of humphead wrasse had arrived in Hong Kong
since December, mostly from Indonesia, though more than half were
re-exported to mainland China.

Humphead wrasse still appears on menus in some restaurants in Hong Kong,
though fish traders say it is increasingly rare and getting smaller.

Asked about endangered species, fish restaurant manager Gu Chao Fan told
Reuters: "You have to book a week in advance. There are not many these
days."

Source: Reuters

 From the middle of the maple season in New Scotland,
Ross Mayhew.
http://www.schnr-specimen-shells.com/

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