The Horrific Way Fish Are Caught for Your Aquarium—With Cyanide

Up to 90 percent of saltwater aquarium fish imported to the U.S. are caught using cyanide. A new petition is calling for the government to crack down.

Editor's note, June 5, 2018: The government rejected the petition in the summer of 2016, in part because the cyanide test it called for had not been independently validated. A study published in May 2018 calls into question the veracity of the data underpinning the method promoted in the petition. Read more here.

They’re in your dentist’s office, in restaurants, hotel resorts, and homes all over the world. The saltwater aquarium, with its bright coral and even brighter fish, brings a piece of the wild into your living room.

But do you really know where those saltwater fish come from? A full 98 percent—yes, almost all—species of saltwater fish currently can’t be bred in captivity on a commercial scale. They must instead be taken from ocean reefs. And how is that done?

Most of the time, with sodium cyanide.

Sodium cyanide is a highly toxic chemical compound that many fish collectors in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia (the largest exporters of tropical fish) crush and dissolve in squirt bottles to spray

Unlock this story for free
Create an account to read the full story and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles.

Unlock this story for free

Want the full story? Sign up to keep reading and unlock hundreds of Nat Geo articles for free.
Already have an account?
SIGN IN

Read This Next

What bacteria lurk in your city? Consult the bees.
Is melatonin giving you nightmares?
Why are these orcas killing sharks and removing their livers?

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet