LRFF

“It was just another day; I was minding my business and visiting my neighbor. There was an unusual visitor, and an odd taste accompanied him. Suddenly I felt dizzy, and before I could get a sense of my surrounding, I was in an unfamiliar place with unknown creatures, as we recovered, we were shifted from one water to another finally, it stopped. I was now in an area that was big enough to hold my body but small enough not to let me move freely, for someone who knew no boundaries, this was terrifying. I did not like the water, the light was unusual, there was no food, and there were many like me!! One weird creature would grab hold of us, and that was it. I don’t know what happens next” – From the mouth of a reef fish that never got a chance to outgrow its market size.

A bustling market, a wet market that is the richest in value. Where people come to close their business deals over meals, where delicacies are savored as part of festivities and traditions – The Live Reef Food Fish Market (LRFF).
For centuries, fish have played an important role in the culture and cuisine of China. Mainland China and Hong Kong imports live reef fish from various parts of the world for these wet markets. These Live Reef Food Fish are a symbol of status. They are part of traditional cuisines and are eaten to mark several occasions. They are even eaten to signify the closing of business deals. The larger and more expensive the fish, the higher and better the deal is! These fish are captured alive and kept in tanks at the market. The restaurants let customers pick the fish of their choice and cook them. This ensures the freshness of the fish! Because there is high demand and hefty pricing, Southeast Asian countries export live fish, mainly Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The fish are often caught in the wild – Reef fish are slowed down using Cyanide solutions and easily caught by the fishermen. Fish are then transported through water or air. This chemical harms the coral and smaller fish, ruining the health of the entire reef. Now there are mariculture practices that catch some species of wild reef fish and grow them in cage culture until they attain market size. The increase in aquaculture practices is also harming the ecosystem. Overfishing, unfair fishing practices, and habitat loss have diminished the population size of many reef fish that were once abundant. Right! The government has brought many species under protection. There are special rules and laws in CITES, a restriction on the size of the fish that can be traded, a ban on seasonal fishing, and many other regulations. However, illegal trading still exists, and a substantial black market supply exists for the ever-growing demand.

Is there a solution to this? Of course.
Just like farming – where we need to give time for the crop to grow before we harvest, the fish need time to grow too! Sustainable sourcing of seafood is crucial. Reef fish are generally large. They grow slowly, which means they mature late as well. When they are just in marketable size, they are yet to attain maturity. If they are overfished, there is no way the population can continue to sustain itself. There needs to be intervention, stringent rules, incentives and subsidies, better management of fisheries, and mitigation at every step of the transit. From catching to transport to export/import to markets and, finally, the most critical piece of this act – the Humans. We need to be aware of the source of our food and try to avoid it. If impossible, we need to at least choose sustainable options so we can continue to eat for years to come!

PS: Let me know if you would like a detailed report and updates on this trade market and its impact on the reefs.