Extinction of threatened varieties imminent:

Ornamental fish exports, main cause

By Manjula Fernando

The environmentalists warned the authorities last week against relaxing environmental laws to allow exporting of endangered and endemic freshwater fish species as a boost to the ornamental fish industry.

The activists cautioned the move would lead to the extinction of already threatened varieties in Sri Lanka while the rivals in ornamental fish industry, like Malaysia and Thailand would stand to gain by Sri Lanka's loss.

"This means that Sri Lanka will lose its rich biodiversity while letting our arch rivals in the ornamental fish trade to pilfer our endemic genes to produce hybrid fish varieties with no apparent benefit to our country," Sajeewa Chamikara of the Environment Conservation Trust said.

The Collective of Environmental Organizations (CEO) holding a press conference at the Library Services Board Seminar Hall on Wednesday, said the move could not be termed wise and called for a critical review of this decision, taken perhaps with good intentions of promoting the country's export sector.The proposed regulations are to permit artificial breeding and exporting of 13 endemic water plants and nine freshwater fish species that are not 'merely' endemic to Sri Lanka but some known to be 'point endemic' , meaning that these species are found in only one location within the country.

The relaxing of provisions in the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO) of Sri Lanka is to be effected by the Wildlife Department allegedly to promote ornamental fish export sector on a request by the industry.

The CEO pointed out the profit driven ornamental fish traders were even now over-exploiting and abusing the provisions in the FFPO, causing more and more Sri Lanka's endemic freshwater fish species to move on to the 'endangered' or 'critically endangered' category in the 'National Red List' as proved by the issue of 2012 which was issued recently.

In this backdrop further relaxing of the Act will not stop but compliment their greedy practices."Although the regulations compel artificial breeding for export purposes, the traders export fish taken from their natural habitat. Our studies have revealed shrinking of their population at an alarming rate.

We cannot let this to continue," eminent Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunawardena told the media, adding that they may have to resort to tougher action if their pleas to officials concerned go unheeded.He said the ornamental fish traders boast that their industry had been in existence for 50 long years. The studies show that the shrinking of the endemic freshwater fish population seem to have begun around this time.

"Instead of making provisions to relax the law, we need to strictly enforce the existing law to protect our rich biodiversity," the environmentalists pointed out.

"It is impossible to strike a balance between the demand and supply in the global market for ornamental fish. Some of our highly endemic species will surely go extinct if the laws are relaxed."The draft proposals are reportedly submitted to legal Draftsman's office for fine-tuning. Once the regulations are in place 13 endemic water plants and nine freshwater fish species, which are currently banned for exporting, will be allowed to be sent out of the country under 'Ornamental Tag'.

The Red List of 2012 states, "Number of endemic species have a high demand in the aquarium trade and hence over-exploitation of naturally occurring populations for export has resulted in a marked reduction in their populations and in some instances to local extinctions. "

Nadeeka Hapuarachchi of Wildlife Conservation Society said, rare, colourful fish species here which are in high demand from foreign buyers shows a disturbing pattern of vanishing from their natural locations. The studies conducted in 2009 and 2012, have confirmed this beyond doubt.

Chamikara said destroying of their natural habitat and over- exploitation of natural population were the principal causes for their extinction.

According to the 2012 Red List five endemic water plants and 21 species of endemic freshwater fish species are either critically endangered or threatened with extinction. Sri Lanka is home to 91 freshwater fish species out of which 50 are endemic. Thirty nine out of this endemic varieties are threatened with extinction.

Gunawardena stressed the need of the hour was a national policy to declare habitats of endangered species of freshwater fish and water plants as protected sites. “We would like to see authorities taking some action based on the 2012 Red List and the studies conducted by environmentalists in this sector to bring in much needed protection to our endemic species.”

The endangered varieties of freshwater fish and water plants that are to be released for breeding and exporting under the new regulations are -

Aponojeton jacobsenii – CR, Aponojeton regicifolius – EN, Cryptocoryne alba – CR, Cryptocoryne bogneri – CR, Cryptocoryne walkeri – CR, Cryptocoryne thwaitesii – EN, Lagenandra bogneri – EN, Lagenandra lancifolia – En, Lagenandra koenigii – EN, Lagenandra thwaitesii – EN, Lagenandra jacobsenii – EN, Lagenandra praetermissa, Lagenandra erosa – CR.

FRESH WATER FISH

Devario pathirana – CR, Labeo fisheri – CR, Systomus asoka – CR, Pethia bandula – CR, Systomus martenstyni – CR, Dawkinsia srilankensis – CR, Rasbora vilpita – EN, Sicyopus jonklaasi – EN,

CR – Critically Endangered
EN – Endangered