亞馬遜盆地的熱帶魚貿易倒底是一種維護熱帶雨林對抗礦業與伐木業入侵的產業 (見Tlusty et al. 2008年的文章)? 還是一種竭澤而漁殺雞取卵的行為? 一直在保育生物學界有著長期地爭議. Moreau & Coomes (2007)的文章根據數字說明了這項擔憂. 這篇文章指出秘魯所輸出的魚類有絕大多數具有兩種令保育生物學家擔憂的特質: 生殖力低(如所有的淡水魟)以及分布跼限 (如大多數的短鯛, 將魚與鯰魚). 而這些對熱帶魚資源的開採(或掘取?)其實都是為了滿足亞洲(台灣, 日本, 中國)以及西歐國家的消費口味. Practicalfishkeeping.co.uk上的討論更直指有一些魚根本不應該再出口或進口, 例如紅尾鴨嘴. 多數的消費者根本無法在家庭水族箱飼養這些大型魚類, 然後店家通常也不善盡道德責任說明這些大型魚類並非一般家庭可以飼養, 導致棄養或動物死亡的現象仍然非常地常見. 這篇文章主要提醒大家正視熱帶魚資源還是可能因為過度漁撈消逝的問題, 而非一味天真地認為消費熱帶魚真的就能夠幫助亞馬遜熱帶雨林的保存.Environmental Conservation (2007), 34:1:12-22 Cambridge University Press Copyright © 2007 Foundation for Environmental Conservation doi:10.1017/S0376892907003566
MOREAU Marie-Annick COOMES Oliver T
The Amazon basin is a key supplier of wild freshwater fishes to the multi-billion US$ global aquarium market, yet limited information exists on the organization of the regional trade, its importance to local economies or conservation impacts. Through field interviews and review of government statistics, this paper describes the state of the industry in Peru, reporting on the scale and value of the trade, the nature of the fishery and the characteristics and roles of key actors in regional supply networks. An economically important industry is revealed, with 28 firms officially exporting over nine million fishes worth US$ 2.5 million to 24 countries in 2001, and involving fish species from 36 families transported from rainforest catchments up to 1100 km distant from the export centre of Iquitos. Most fish are however collected close to the city, with 10 species representing >70% of trade volume. Some 10 000 people earn income from the trade, among them many rural poor who depend on aquarium fish collection as a primary or supplementary source of cash income. The industry is currently undergoing an important transition towards supplying new Asian and European markets, increasing exports of species biologically unsuited to heavy exploitation as a result, and highlighting the conservation need for improved knowledge and management of the trade in Amazonia.
Correspondence: c1 Correspondence: Dr Oliver T. Coomes Tel: +1 514 398 4943 Fax: +1 514 398 7437 e-mail: coomes@geog.mcgill.ca
