Humphead Wrasse - Conservation

Conservation

The humphead wrasse is long lived, but has a very slow breeding rate. Its numbers have declined due to a number of threats. Threats include:

1. Intensive and species-specific removal in the live reef food fish trade.
2. Spearfishing at night with SCUBA gear.
3. Destructive fishing techniques, including sodium cyanide and dynamite
4. Habitat loss and degradation.
5. Juveniles being taken from the wild and raised or “cultured” in floating net cages until saleable size.
6. A developing export market for juvenile humphead wrasse for the marine aquarium trade
7. Lack of coordinated, consistent national and regional management.
8. Illegal, unregulated, or unreported (IUU) fisheries.

In December 2003, Australia prohibited all take and possession of humphead wrasse, other than for limited educational purposes and public display. In Guangdong province, southern mainland China, permits are required for the sale of this species; Indonesia allows fishing only for research, mariculture, and licensed artisanal fishing; the Maldives instituted an export ban in 1995; Papua New Guinea prohibits export of fish over 2 feet (65 cm) Total Length; and Niue has banned all fishing for this species.

The humphead wrasse is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. Species of Concern are those species about which the U.S. Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act(ESA).