Most of the animals that you see when you visit a zoo were born in captivity; international regulations and concerns about animal welfare have seriously clamped down on the number of wild-caught mammals and birds imported into the country. For aquariums, on the other hand, the trend is still for many fish to come from the oceans. What also makes the aquarium fish trade different than the historic zoo animal trade is that very few of Carl Hagenbeck's tigers and elephants found themselves in private homes, which is where many imported saltwater fish end up.
There are tremendous benefits to be gained from increasing our knowledge of producing marine fish in captivity. It's better for the environment not to take these animals from the wild. It's better for the fish themselves - captive bred animals tend to be healthier and less-stressed than wild caught ones forced to adapt to captivity. Lastly, it could be a great economic boon for some communities, producing fish to satisfy the demands of public and privite aquariums.
There are challenges, to be sure, but considering how many now-common zoo animals were once considered impossible to breed, I'm sure that, at least for some species, it can be done.
Barcelona’s underwater tunnel aquarium with
sharks and visitors in aquarium tunnel underwater scene. Photo by Artur
Debat / Contributor, Getty Images
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