Aquarium trade in the Pacific

Abstract

The Pacific region first became a part of the luxury aquarium trade in the 1970s. Thirty years later, the total annual value of aquarium organism exports from the region is between 40 and 60 million US dollars (USD), accounting for about 10–15% of the global trade. The aquarium trade is becoming an important source of income and employment for local communities in the Pacific. For example, in Fiji alone, the aquarium trade provides employment for 600 people, and fisheries revenue is second only to tuna