Urge NMFS to stem the import of threatened Banggai cardinalfish into the U.S.!

The Banggai cardinalfish is incredibly popular in the ornamental fish trade – that’s why hundreds of thousands are caught and exported from Indonesia, the only place in the world this species is found, every year. But between this demand and threats to their habitat, these fish are being pushed to the brink.

Their numbers have declined to just 10% of historic levels, causing the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list them as threatened in 2016.

However, NMFS didn’t extend any legal protections against the ornamental fish trade, and Banggai cardinalfish remain in jeopardy. We need your help to set things right!

Sign a comment urging NMFS to finalize a proposed rule to protect the threatened Banggai cardinalfish from the U.S. aquarium trade!

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Defenders of Wildlife

Dear National Marine Fisheries Service,

I am writing today as a member of Defenders of Wildlife to urge you to strengthen and finalize a species-specific 4(d) rule under the Endangered Species Act to protect the threatened Banggai cardinalfish.

This striking reef fish, found only in Indonesia, has been listed as a threatened species since 2016, due in significant part to its overexploitation for the ornamental fish trade. The United States aquarium market has been a key driver in the species’ decline. Because your agency did not promulgate a species-specific 4(d) rule in 2016, for the last seven years, the Banggai cardinalfish has received no statutory take protections that might have helped stemmed the species’ ongoing decline.

I support the proposed rule to prohibit the import and export of the threatened Banggai cardinalfish, but I urge you to include additional statutory take prohibitions necessary for the conservation (i.e., full recovery) of the species.

In particular, I urge you to apply the statutory prohibitions against interstate and foreign commerce, to help ensure that the U.S. market or transshipments through the U.S. no longer contribute to the species’ decline. In particular,it is important to apply these prohibitions even to fish labeled as captive-bred, to help remove incentives to continue to import these fish illegally and then relabel them as captive-bred.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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