Napoleon Fish (Humphead Wrasse), Cheilinus undulatus ...

Napoleon Fish (Humphead Wrasse), Cheilinus undulatus, Trade in Southern China

and Underwater Visual Census Survey in Southern Indonesia

2005 US Support for the IUCN Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group Final Report submitted by Yvonne Sadovy ([email protected])

Final Report: IUCN Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group – June 2006; 25 pp

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Summary 1 Introduction 2 Methods 3 Underwater visual census surveys 3 Trade profile 4 Hong Kong workshop 5 Results and Discussion 5

Underwater visual census surveys 5 Trade profile 8 Hong Kong workshop 13 Recommendations 15 Acknowledgements 16 References 16 Annexes I-IV 17-25

Summary

As part of an ongoing initiative to provide information relevant to the implementation of the CITES Appendix II listing for the Napoleon or Humphead Wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus, which came into effect in January 2005, the IUCN Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group is working with the Indonesian government, and within Hong Kong, to collect trade and field information. Three objectives are addressed in this report: an underwater visual census survey in Indonesia; trade interviews and surveys in southern China, and organization of a workshop in Hong Kong. An underwater visual census (UVC) survey was conducted in early April, 2006, in Nusa Tenggara, southeastern Indonesia, between Sumbawa and Flores, to determine natural densities of C. undulatus in this area, considered to be of high fishing pressure according to traders and biologists. This survey is intended to complement a further (separately funded) 5 surveys in Indonesia, based on a UVC technique specially developed for this wide-ranging species. Together, the 6 surveys will be used to develop a stock assessment model, in collaboration with FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), that will allow for the development of a management package for application to develop export quotas for the species in compliance with the CITES listing. The completed survey in Nusa Tenggara, indicated a very low density, at 0.184 fish per 10,000 m2; this is 100 times less than the densities recorded in unfished areas for this species. Only 11 fish were seen in


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over 50 km of survey. At least 20 km of survey distance were needed to obtain a representative density estimate at this low density of fish. All Napoleon wrasse seen were close to or below the size of minimum sexual maturation, and conversations with traders in the area, indicated that, nowadays, fishers typically only catch 0-3 small fish every month or so: this area was once an important source of Napoleon fish and appears to have been severely depleted. Trade characteristics for the Napoleon fish both within Hong Kong and between Hong Kong and southern Mainland China were evaluated from interviews, government records and market surveys. Significant trade occurs between Hong Kong and Mainland China but this is not documented and much appears to be illegal, largely to avoid cross-border tariffs. Trade is expected to grow, given the interest by consumers in this species. The majority of fish in trade are close to or below the size of maximum sexual maturation, which reflects, in part, a preferred market size. The species continues to fetch high prices although only about 9 traders are involved in its import to Hong Kong. Seven of the 9 traders were interviewed. Monitoring of shipments by sea into Hong Kong, and of all shipments (reexports) between Hong Kong and Mainland China, is a challenge but must be addressed for successful implementation of the Appendix II listing. Recommendations are made regarding options for addressing this problem. Traders need to be better informed about the listing and will need to modify some of their trade practices to conform to the CITES listing, when implemented in Hong Kong at the end of 2006. If illegal trade cannot be controlled, one feasible option is to limit international trade to air-only shipments since these are easier to monitor and control than are shipments by sea. A workshop was conducted on January 13th, 2006, in Hong Kong to discuss implementation and trade issues in relation to the CITES Appendix II listing, which has not been introduced in either Hong Kong or Mainland China for this species. Major outcomes indicated the need for further information on the species and on CITES and the Appendix II listing. Traders were concerned about a number of practical issues in relation to control of imports by sea, re-exports, possession licences and permits to export from source countries. They committed to modify trade practices to try to address some of the issues; follow-up work was planned on the basis of the workshop outcomes.

Introduction Following the CITES Appendix II listing of the Napoleon wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus, in October 2004, the GWSG was contracted by the CITES Secretariat to work with Indonesia, a major exporter of this species, to develop Non-Detriment Findings based on trade and underwater surveys in areas of high, medium and low fishing pressure within Indonesia. To build upon this initial work, the current project was conducted to increase the number of underwater surveys in Indonesia, and to better understand the movement of imported fish, as well as enforcement and implementation issues, in major importing areas, principally Hong Kong and southern Mainland China; much of the trade of this species with Mainland China as its destination, transits Hong Kong: Hong Kong and Mainland China are considered to


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be separate trade units under CITES. In this report, the species is referred to interchangeably as Cheilinus undulatus, Humphead Wrasse, HHW or Napoleon fish. The specific aims of the project were threefold:

1. To survey the HHW by underwater visual census in Nusa Tenggara, eastern Indonesia, to determine natural densities in this area, considered one of high fishing pressure according to traders and biologists.

2. To describe and quantify the trade of Napoleon fish into Hong Kong and southern Mainland China through interviews and compilation of government records.

3. To conduct a workshop in Hong Kong, the major importer of HHW, to meet with traders and government officials to discuss implementation and trade issues in relation to the CITES Appendix II listing of the Napoleon fish.

Methods Underwater Visual Census Surveys The surveys being conducted in Indonesia in this and related projects have as their aim to document the natural density of HHW in areas of low, medium and high fishing intensity. Using this information, combined with an estimate of reef area, an estimate of fish abundance will be generated. Together with a stock assessment such as yield per recruit (in preparation in collaboration with FAO) an estimate of sustainable off-take will be developed to provide the necessary information for an export quota for HHW in compliance with the Appendix II listing the species. A minimum of 6 surveys is planned to provide data for the initial stock assessment. This report covers one such survey conducted in an area of high fishing pressure. The "GPS (Global Positioning System) Density Survey" method was used for the Underwater Visual Censuses (UVC) during this project as developed by Pat Colin of the Coral Reef Research Foundation (CRRF) (Colin et al. 2005; CITES report 2006), as it is particularly well-suited to assessing abundance of uncommon and wide-ranging species, such as C. undulatus. Even in relatively undisturbed regions, HHW are among the least common of commercially exploited reef fishes and appropriate methods are needed to survey them in the field. Conventional underwater visual survey (UVC) techniques (typically 50 or 150 m long transects) are not really feasible to document the abundance of these reef fish given the practicalities of field-work in most areas: distance and reef areas one order of magnitude or more must be surveyed compared to conventional techniques. The GPS density survey method uses a "position logging" GPS receiver in a water-proof floating housing which is towed on the surface by the observer. It can be used snorkeling (towed behind the swimmer) or SCUBA diving (GPS float deployed from diver reel). The GPS was set to log its position every 15 seconds, allowing an accurate record of the track surveyed after downloading. The observer carries a waterproof watch synchronized to the second with the time displayed by the GPS receiver. Fish within a predetermined distance either side of the swim track (up to 10 m in clear water, giving a total ‘swath’ or scan width of 20m) are surveyed by


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swimming along a reef feature or in a relatively straight line at a steady pace or drifting with currents. The real time that any target fish is observed is recorded on an underwater slate, and the length of the fish is noted. Fish length can be estimated visually (Samoilys 1997). Logged data from the GPS are downloaded using Garmin Map Source World Map software to provide a continuous track of the survey swim and, within the accuracy limits of the GPS, a permanent record of the area surveyed. Aside from documenting the swim track location, this also allows for replication of the survey track in the future since the tracks are latitude-longitude referenced. Using the concurrent time log and the time of fish observations, the position on the track where any fish was observed can be closely (within a few m) determined from the time and position data. The distance (and thereby the area depending on swath width) covered during a given survey is documented and the number of fish observed provides a density (fish per unit area) value. The survey track and fish positions are plotted on LANDSAT images for reference, downloaded from the University of South Florida (http://imars.usf.edu/corals/). Surveys were typically conducted along a given reef feature, such as the edge of the reef slope or a given depth contour along a sloping outer reef face. At other times, the surveys, particularly on shallow reef flats, ranged across open bottom without any particular feature or habitat being followed: all areas are appropriate habitat for this species which is widely distributed on coral reefs in Indonesia. Notes were taken on approximate water depths and habitat type, along each transect, and swath width was typically taken to be two times the water depth, unless water had poor visibility, in which case swath width was judged to be less. Additional notes were taken opportunistically on other species of commercial value or otherwise of interest. All occurrences of the congeners Cheilinus chlororus and C. trilobatus were recorded since these typically occur in the same habitat as C. undulatus but are not highly prized in the market and hence do not experience the same fishing pressure. Their presence is an indicator of appropriate HHW habitat. While it is not possible to measure the swath width being surveyed exactly, the approximation used is reasonable and represents a viewing angle of about 45o by the observer. Trade Profiles To better understand the import side of the international trade in live reef fish in the major area of importation, a trade profile was developed for Hong Kong (HK) and southern Mainland China. This information was based on interviews with importers and traders of HHW in Hong Kong, regular inspections of fish in retail outlets, documentation of price data, and consultation with the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (CSD-HKSAR), and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of the HKSAR. All activities took place in late 2005, except for fish length estimates, which continued to May 2006. Specifically, information was collected as follows:

• Interviews were conducted with most major importers/traders of Napoleon fish as determined by presence of this species in retail outlets, or as identified


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by Indonesian exporters. Questions involved information on fish size preferences, business trends, mortalities, availability of preferred fish size range, transport routes and knowledge of legislation (questions were guided by the questionnaire in Annex 1); company names were treated as confidential. Interviews were conducted with 7 major traders – about 9 are known to trade in this species, although one company repeatedly refused to be interviewed;

• Import data by mode (air or sea) and volume, and exporting country identity; • Price data were collected from traders and retail outlets and also reviewed

from past price surveys to indicate wholesale and retail prices and identify any price trends over time;

• Body size data of HHW (total length in cm) from retail and wholesale outlets selling this species in Hong Kong were taken approximately bimonthly. Measurements were taken by using a ruler held up against the tank and at least 150 fish, if available, were measured during each bimonthly sampling period; each sampling period could include data collection over several weeks with site visits timed to avoid double-counts. The turnover time for this species is short once they are placed in retail display tanks (see cover of report). Several visits to southern Mainland China enabled visual estimates to be made of fish on sale.

Hong Kong Workshop To better understand the perspectives of traders in relation to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna) Appendix II listing of the Humphead Wrasse and its implementation, to collect additional trade information, provide educational materials and prepare Hong Kong traders for implementation of the new regulation, a one-day workshop was held. This was jointly organized by the IUCN-Groupers and Wrasses Specialist Group (IUCN-GWSG), and AFCD, with assistance from the World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong (WWF-HK) and TRAFFIC East Asia, and was held on 13 January 2006. The meeting allowed for exchanges of ideas or concerns related to the CITES II listing, collection of information on trade in the region, presentation of information on the background to the listing, and consideration of implications of the listing for Hong Kong traders.

Results and Discussion Underwater Visual Census Surveys Numbers of fish, distance, area covered by the UVC surveys, and fish density were noted for 13 different survey sites during UVC snorkel surveys between Sape in Sumbawa and Labuan Bajo in Flores and including areas of the Komodo National Park. Surveys were conducted between April 6-11, 2006, by Pat Colin (CRRF), Yvonne Sadovy (IUCN-GWSG) and Santi Suharti (LIPI - Indonesian Institute of Sciences: the CITES Scientific Authority of Indonesia). Observations were consistent between the three observers. Surveys were generally conducted along the reef slope down to about 30 m in good visibility, and inshore, using the GPS method (Fig. 1). Locations of each of the 13 survey sites are shown in Fig. 2.


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Figure 1: Underwater visual census surveys were conducted (left) from inshore out to the slope drop-off with visibility up to 10 m, using (right) a GPS array in which the GPS (black unit) was placed inside a PVC cylinder mounted on a narrow, long and weighted PVC tube and buoyed for support. The mobile phone (silver) is shown for scale. The unit holding the GPS unit was home-made. The total distance covered for all sites combined was 51.57 km for an area of 597,337 m2 and a total of 11 fish, for a density of 0.184 fish per 10,000 m2. A graph of cumulative density with survey distance showed that sufficient area had been covered to provide a representative sample of fish density in the area (Fig. 3) See Annexes II and III for details of survey transects and data. Fish sizes observed during surveys varied from approximately 5-30 cm, mostly in the 10-15 cm TL range (estimated fish sizes: 5-6, 6-7, 8, 10, 12, 10-15, 15, 15, 15, 15-20, 30; note that size ranges are given for some sightings because estimates were made of fish in situ). Two diver-photographers sharing the research vessel visited two additional sites known by dive operators to shelter one or two large HHW. These areas were both small rocky outcroppings generally inaccessible to fishing because of prevailing currents. As predicted, HHW of 50 and 80 cm were seen in these areas. These locations were interesting because they are essentially de facto reserves, and illustrate the conservation-dependent nature of this species. Discussions with fish collectors off Labuan Bajo and Pulau Mas indicated that catch rates for the species are now extremely low (approximately 0-3 HHW per month per fisher) and that all fish are small (about 1 kg; 40 cm); previously the area was much more productive for this species, according to the interviewees in these areas. Surveys were conducted across a range of habitats suitable for the HHW, from inshore across to the reef slope that drops down to deeper water. Visibility was variable and water depths to 10 m could be surveyed in good visibility. Current conditions varied and influenced the distance covered during each survey; surveys were planned to move in the direction of the current, if present. Habitats ranged from scattered to high levels of live coral cover in good condition, to rubble fields (possibly the result of bombing) to reefs with low coverage of dead coral interspersed with sand, or covered in algae. Most of the survey areas had several to many Cheilinus trilobatus and C. chlorourus but few large fish of any species were seen. A few C. fasciatus were noted. In general, large fish of any family were notably absent. Of the groupers, most frequently noted were Cephalopholis argus, C. miniata, and Epinephelus merra, all


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small species of groupers. Plectropomus areolatus was occasionally seen. Acanthaster planci (crown of thorns starfish) were only occasionally observed and Tridacna sp. were not common. Sharks and rays were only seen on one or two occasions, as were large Naso and Plectorhynchus spp.

Figure 2: Map showing survey area between Sumbawa and Flores Islands in the Nusa Tenggara in southern Indonesia. The numbered sites indicate the 13 survey sites selected at random to cover a wide range of sites both within and outside of the Komodo National Park. Surveys were conducted between April 6-11th, 2006, inclusive. See Annex II for details of all survey sites. This area has a history of heavy fishing pressure for the HHW. SOURCE: C-Map

0

0.04

0.08

0.12

0.16

0.2

12398 13350 17580 19298 37135 41143 45930 51572Total distance travelled (m)

Cum

ulat

ive

dens

ity (f

ish

per 1

0,00

0 m

2)

Figure 3: Cumulative density, in fish per 10,000 m2 with total distance travelled. Density starts to level off at about 20 km of distance travelled, indicating that at least 20 km must be surveyed to obtain a representative density estimate for HHW in this area.


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Trade Profiles a) Hong Kong import data - Inspection of Census and Statistics Department (CSD) import figures for Hong Kong, a major destination for Indonesian HHW, strongly suggest that Indonesia has long been an important source of HHW for HK. For 2005, the first year in which Indonesia introduced an export quota in response to the CITES Appendix II listing, the CSD data show imports of 4,619 kg from Indonesia, predominantly by air. In addition, a significant volume was almost certainly imported by sea (at least 50% of all recorded sea imports is considered to be a conservative estimate for imports from Indonesia of the total imports by sea recorded by AFCD from voluntary data; this would represent about 7,000 kg coming from Indonesia by sea in Hong Kong-registered vessels – see Table 1 for further details). These two data sources combined suggest a minimum import to Hong Kong from Indonesia in 2005 of about 11,000 kg. This conservative volume is higher than the export quota introduced for Indonesia in 2005, so there is clearly illegal export between Indonesia and HK. Also of interest from the import data in Hong Kong in 2005 was the large volume of HHW recorded from Singapore and Papua New Guinea (PNG), as well as smaller imports from the Philippines. This is the first year that Singapore has appeared in CSD records as an exporter of the HHW. Since Singapore does not have significant stocks of this species, it is likely that some of these imports are coming from Indonesia and/or Malaysia. PNG has not previously been recorded as a major exporter of HHW. Note that, officially, the Philippines does not export CITES Appendix II listed species such that these figures relate to illegal trade. The HHW represents a small but valuable component of the live reef food fish trade and is typically shipped in small quantities of a few hundred kg at a time to 1 tonne per shipment in large boats, some of which can carry up to 15 or 20 t of fish. Shipments are small but relatively frequent and low numbers of HHW tend to be transported together with much larger volumes of other live reef fishes. In the last decade business trends have gone down largely due to patterns in the regional economy, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and problems with ciguatera (relevant to several fish species, not just Napoleon fish). Indications from interviews are that some traders have been able to maintain import levels because operations continually move to source new fishing grounds; cyanide is sometimes used to take HHW and several traders reported that fishers have to fish deeper to maintain catches. Traders, in general, were not well-informed about the reasons for the listing of the Napoleon fish and did not know that CITES listings were not permanent. Several were worried that attempts would be made to list other species in their trade. Most traders know about size limits in Indonesia. b) Trends in HHW wholesale and retail prices – Retail and wholesale price data were assembled (Tables 2 and 3) from both Hong Kong and southern China, in late 2005 from markets, interviews and published studies. According to interviewees (N=7), the wholesale and retail prices have been relatively stable in HK over the last 5-10 year period (see Table 2).


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Table 1: Import data for HHW in Hong Kong for 2000 to 2005 inclusive. Data sources are Census and Statistics Department (CSD) of the Hong Kong government collected from all air imports and from non-Hong Kong licensed vessels, and data voluntarily supplied to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (AFCD data) collected on a voluntary basis from Hong Kong registered vessels (these vessels are exempted from having to supply figures officially; hence the need for voluntary information). Note that AFCD considers the voluntary data submitted to represent about half of all the imports by HK-licensed vessels.

CSD import volumes of HHW (kg)*

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Australia

Cambodia

Indonesia

Malaysia

Philippines

Thailand

Vietnam

Papua New Guinea

Singapore

0

1,479

875

4,503

5,055

30,483

4

0

0

2,651

0

499

3,438

5,343

0

360

0

0

49

0

5,344

2,497

20,752

0

0

0

0

0

0

2,526

2,541

11,191

0

16

0

0

0

0

544

2,730

5,889

0

89

0

0

0

0

4,619

0

212

0

0

4,516

12,450

Sub-total (kg) 42,399 12,291 28,642 15,434 9,174 21,797

AFCD import volumes of HHW (kg)**

38,673 24,660 20,031 30,127 24,219 14,059

Total import HHW (CSD + AFCD) (kg)

81,072 36,951 48,673 45,561 33,393 35,856

% HHW import by HK-licensed vessels

47.7 66.7 41.2 66.1 72.5 39.2

*Imports from all countries by air and by non-HK-licensed vessels Census and Statistics Department (CSD) of the Hong Kong government (there are reportedly few non HK-licensed vessels so most of the CSD data represent air shipments). **Imports by sea on HK-licensed vessels are mainly from Indonesia according to Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (AFCD data); WH Law, AFCD Fish Marketing Section (April 2006; pers. comm.). Table 2: Summary of wholesale and retail prices of HHW in HK in 1990-2003 (Johannes & Riepen, 1995; Dragon Search Report, 1996; Lau & Parry-Jones, 1999; McGilvray & Chan, 2001, 2003; this survey). There are no data for 1998 and 2004.

Price (USD / kg) 1990-1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005

Wholesale

Retail

60-80

150-190

50-100

90-170

45-70

90-120

45-70

90-120

50-65

70-125

50-70

85-125

25-95

NA

27-111

100-150


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Table 3: Wholesale and retail prices were investigated through interviewing 7 wholesale traders and seafood restaurant owners in Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Guangzhou Huangsha Seafood Wholesale Market) in December 2005. (Dead HHW fetch low prices in HK; 117-133 HKD/kg (15-18 USD/kg).

Size (BW or TL) Price (HKD) Price (USD=7.5HKD)

Wholesale in HK 30-40cm

50-70cm

5 kg/fish

600 g/fish

2.5-3.5kg/fish

0.6-1kg/fish

1.2-1.8kg/fish

2-5kg/fish

<5kg/fish

600-800g/fish

>3kg/fish

>20kg/fish

600-800g/fish

600g/fish (25cm TL)

1.5 kg/fish (40cm TL)

500/fish

900/fish

1,000/fish (200/kg)

460/fish (765/kg)

300/kg

800/kg

800/fish

430/kg

300/kg

650-700/kg

260/kg

130-160/kg

830/kg

480/fish (800/kg)

900/fish (600/kg)

65/fish

120/fish

130/fish (27/kg)

61/fish (102/kg)

40/kg

107/kg

107/fish

57/kg

40/kg

87-93/kg

35/kg

17-21/kg

111/kg

64/fish (107/kg)

120/fish (80/kg)

Wholesale price range inHong Kong

27-111/kg

Retail in HK 600 g/fish

30-35cm

450/fish (750/kg)

1000-1100/kg

60/fish (100/kg)

130-150/kg

Retail price range 60-150/kg

Wholesale inGuangzhou

500 g/fish

> 1 kg/fish

960/kg

360/kg

128/kg

48/kg

Wholesale price range 48-128/kg

BW=body weight in g; TL=Total length cm Inspection of Tables 2 and 3, however, shows how variable the prices per kg can be over time and with body size. These data demonstrate the importance of developing appropriate protocols for the collection of price at different levels of trade and over time. The HHW has one of the highest profit margins of all species in the trade, according to interviews and, for this reason is particularly valued by traders (CITES report, 2006; pers. comm.). It is not uncommon for prices to be higher in Guangzhou, which is one of the reasons the fish are exported from HK to southern Mainland China. In most cases, sales of Napoleon fish are in response to advance customer orders. Some people consider that prices might go up if species becomes harder


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(because of declining numbers and/or because permits to export are difficult to obtain) to purchase - price fluctuations are a direct indication of supply and demand and the HHW is a very desirable species. This means that even if it becomes very rare, there is likely to be consumer interest in this species. c) Sizes of HHW in trade –Sizes of HHW in retail trade in Hong Kong and southern China at any one time appear to be the result of several factors, among them market preferences, health concerns, availability and the state of the economy, according to sizes recorded in the retail sector in Hong Kong, as well as to interviews. In general, the larger the HHW, the better is the taste, according to interviewees. Ten years ago, when the economy in Hong Kong was particularly good and consumers were able to pay high prices for big fish, consumers in HK preferred large HHW (5kg/fish or even larger, up to 40 kg/fish). Nowadays, the major consumers are from Mainland China (Guangdong, Beijing and Shanghai), and they prefer plate-size HHW (600-800 g/fish), or large HHW (2-5 kg/fish, sometimes larger than 5 kg/fish). The stated reasons for preferring plate-size HHW are: cheap compared the total amount of money paid for a large HHW, belief that there is less risk from ciguatera poisoning in small HHW (small HHW accumulate less ciguatoxins, a naturally occurring toxin that can cause the condition ‘ciguatera’ in humans), and small HHW are caught by hook-and-line instead of cyanide. The size range of imported HHW when brought in by sea is wide, ranging from 10-15 cm TL to more than 20 kg/fish, while those brought in by air tend to be of smaller size. Nonetheless, 80-90% HHW are in the preferred size range for the trade (i.e. 600-800 g – see above). This is consistent with the sizes of HHW measured in retail outlets in HK (see Fig. 4): fish of 500-1,000 g measure approximate 30-40 cm TL. Traders in HK stated that they are obliged to purchase all the fish offered to them by Indonesian traders when they collect fish from Indonesia holding facilities in order to maintain good business relations, and therefore suggest that they have no species- selection, and no size-selection. It is relevant to ask, therefore, why the sizes in trade so closely match those apparently preferred by HK and Mainland consumers. Either the fishermen in Indonesia know the preferred HHW sizes in HK and Mainland China and target them, or the HHW have become smaller due to over-fishing and have come to match the preferred sizes incidentally. Size data on live fishes in tanks outside restaurants, ready for retail and wholesale in Hong Kong were collected in late 2005, and bimonthly up to May 2006 (Fig. 4). Many fish are at or below the approximate size of sexual maturation (35-50 cm TL – Sadovy et al. 2003). At least two traders reported that they were seeing smaller fish than before, often as small as 300-400 g, and that they had noticed more small fish being traded than before.


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0

40

80

120

160

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

Total length (cm)

Freq

uenc

y

2005

2006 (up to May)

Figure 4. Size-frequency distributions of HHW in the HK retail sector during late 2005 and up to May 6, 2006. Fish measurements (total length) are taken using a ruler held against live fish in glass tanks. d) Trade between Hong Kong and southern Mainland China – A significant proportion of fish moves in transit between Hong Kong and mainland China, often with a very short turnaround time (from a few days if sold in shops, to a week or so if held in floating cages prior to sale). Indications are that demand in Mainland China is higher than supply. Currently, there are no re-export data in Hong Kong and no import data in Mainland China for the HHW; the trade is illegal and is reportedly to avoid tariffs. On neither side has the Appendix II listing for this species been implemented. For CITES purposes, Hong Kong and Mainland China are treated as separate trade units and trade between them should be monitored. Interviews indicated that there are at least two routes for moving HHW between Hong Kong and Mainland China. Within Hong Kong, fish are moved to the Hong Kong border by boat, then transferred by a combination of boat and road to markets in Huangsha or Yantian/Shenzhen in Mainland China (Fig. 5). Nanao Town (Longgang District, Shenzhen City) is an important place for unloading and distributing live reef fish, either caught in the South China Sea or imported from Hong Kong. Fishing vessels from HK or Guangdong (e.g. Huizhou & Shanwei) unload live fish to floating cages in Nanao seas via small vessels and held temporarily. Live reef fish imported from HK into mainland China, e.g. Napoleon fish and coral trouts, arrive at Nanao Pier at night packed in polystyrene boxes, delivered to Yantian wholesale shops by truck directly, and then sent to Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian or Hanzhou by air, or sold locally.


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Figure 5. Routes between Hong Kong and China, as identified by interviews in Hong Kong and southern China, of HHW trade. Fish are taken to Shenzhen and Guangdong, some sold and some shipped by air to Shanghai and Beijing. Most or all of this trade is apparently illegal since it does not go through recognized border areas; there are no official re-export figures between Hong Kong and China. Hong Kong Workshop A workshop was conducted on January 13th, 2006, with 22 participants (see Annex 4), representing AFCD, Customs and Excise Department, TRAFFIC East Asia, IUCN, University of Hong Kong, WWF-HK. There was strong attendance from traders of live reef fish and representation from the Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants who are major players in the trade in HHW into HK and between HK and Mainland China. The workshop was divided into 2 sessions (see Annex 4). The morning session consisted of 5 presentations which briefed participants about the background of CITES and the implementation of the Humphead Wrasse Appendix II listing, including both import and the export controls. The session in the afternoon was an open forum for the participants to discuss the challenges for the trade and possible future actions. The discussions identified four specific challenges to be addressed: control of imports that come in by sea; re-exports to Mainland China from Hong Kong; possession licences required by the AFCD and being introduced as a measure in addition to the CITES control, and problems of obtaining export permits in source countries. a) Control of imports by sea - Currently, Humphead Wrasses are mainly imported by Hong Kong licensed fishing vessels which poses several problems for implementing the Appendix II listing in HK for the species. The major landing ports in Hong Kong are fish wholesale markets such as Yau Tong and Aberdeen. The procedures and venue for import inspection were discussed. The trade explained that because of the unique trade mode, fishing vessels might arrive at very early hours of the morning. Moreover, trade is more frequent during festival times such as Mid-autumn Festival and the Chinese New Year which are public holidays. In both cases, these are periods when government offices are closed and inspections may be more difficult to arrange. There might also be cases where fish are traded from one boat to another boat before landing or are sent to fish rafts instead of landing in the markets. Even though the trade volume of Humphead Wrasse is not large, the fish occur frequently in the trade. AFCD will investigate the logistics of such trade patterns for enforcement. The Food


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and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is considering imposing a new system to control landing of live food fish at predetermined sites (mainly for health reasons, such as to reduce the import of ciguatoxic fish), which could facilitate CITES control. Given the permitting and enforcement problems associated with imports by sea, the possibility was discussed of importing Humphead Wrasse solely by air. The trade responded that transport by air was generally not for large fish as the mortality rate and the cost were higher, and that many of the fish were collected from small islands in source countries where no air transportation was available. The trade also advised that no export of HHW was allowed from some Indonesian airports. However, these problems were not considered to be serious impediments to air-only export because there are at least three Indonesian airports from which exports are allowed, and many of the fish in trade are small enough to be suitable for air shipments. b) Re-exports to Mainland China - Re-export monitoring of HHW from Hong Kong to Mainland China across the HK to China border was a concern to both traders and with respect to monitoring of cross-border trade: monitoring is currently non-existent. HHW imported to Hong Kong are sometimes immediately re-exported to the Mainland. Traders reported that there would be difficulties in keeping fish alive if the issuance of the re-export licences took several days (comment: mortality in transit is a major factor in the profitability of this trade). AFCD will further communicate with the trade in order to formulate procedures agreeable to the trade whilst ensuring that the necessary CITES control could be implemented. The trade representatives agreed to try to adjust their current trade mode in order to cope with the new control, for example by advising several days ahead of a consignment due to be landed in Hong Kong/re-exported to Mainland China. Import licences would be valid for 6 months and the trade could flexibly apply for a licence for both import and reexport well in advance before actual import. Every shipment will require a separate licence. c) Possession licence - The new regulation to be adopted by AFCD would require a possession licence for HHW. It was suggested that, to avoid problems associated with holding or transporting small numbers of HHW after the introduction of the regulations, traders should try to adjust their trade mode so that Humphead Wrasse would be traded in fewer consignments but with more individuals in each consignment. The trade responded that they had already adopted the practice as far as possible. d) Export permits from source countries - Traders were unclear about the licensing mechanisms for export of Humphead Wrasse in a number of key source countries (e.g. Indonesia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea). In addition, since some Humphead Wrasse could feasibly come from the Mainland (from offshore islands with coral reef communities and where the species can occur) traders wanted to know about licensing mechanisms for this species coming from Mainland waters.


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Recommendations

Based on the results of this project, 13 recommendations are made for moving forward on the CITES Appendix II listing of the Humphead Wrasse and implementing sustainable catch and trade for the species:

1. Information on the reasons for the CITES Appendix II listing and on the nature of CITES should be provided to traders. As a result of this project, an information poster in Chinese has been developed and distributed for use in Hong Kong and Mainland China for identifying the species in different life history phases and for explaining the listing.

2. Reexport data are needed between Hong Kong and Mainland China. 3. Inspection of boat imports into Hong Kong of Hong Kong licensed vessels is

necessary and challenging and needs to be addressed by the Hong Kong SAR government if the Appendix II listing is going to be implemented effectively.

4. Reduced imports that follow controls will likely lead to higher prices since the HHW is a preferred species; vigilance is needed to detect black market trade.

5. While much of the trade comes into Hong Kong and is re-exported to Mainland China, it is likely that Mainland China may eventually receive imports directly from source countries. The implications for trade monitoring, should this occur, need to be anticipated.

6. Indonesia is a major exporter by sea with little enforcement and a significant proportion of Hong Kong’s imports come from Indonesia. Communication between these two governments seems to be particularly important.

7. Consumer choice is a major stimulus for trade in this HHW. A consumer awareness campaign may be particularly appropriate for this species.

8. Many of the fish in trade are at or close to the juvenile phase, which can exacerbate population declines; attention is needed to this aspect of the trade and the minimum size regulations already in place in several countries need to be better enforced to protect juveniles.

9. The Management Authority of Singapore should be approached regarding the high levels of exports recorded from Singapore in 2005. This was the first year that exports from Singapore were noted. Singapore is not a source country so is importing and re-exporting HHW.

10. The collection of retail and wholesale data is important for governments and fishing communities alike for better understanding the value of HHW resources to the economies of source countries. These data need to be collected on a regular basis, but the sampling protocol for collection of price information needs to be designed carefully, bearing in mind the many factors that affect prices on any particular day.

11. If there is an inability to control trade by sea, major exporters could consider allowing air-only exports of HHW, which are more easily regulated on both exporting and importing sides.

12. Traders and collectors of HHW should inform fishers who supply them not to bring in undersize or illegal fish so that they are not obliged to purchase them.

13. Underwater visual census surveys using GPS is an efficient means of collecting density data on the HHW. However, in areas where the species is uncommon, extensive distances (in this case > 20 km) must be covered to obtain a representative density estimate.


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Acknowledgements I am most grateful to the following who have made this project possible: Dr. Liu Min, Dr. Jean-Christophe Vie, Ms. Santi Suharti, Dr. Suharsono, Pak Samedi, Ms. Rachel Wong. IUCN/US financial support and the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, University of Hong Kong funded the work.

References Colin, P. L., Sadovy, Y. J. & Domeier, M. L. 2003. Manual for the Study and

Conservation of Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations. Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations. Special Publication No. 1 (Version 1.0), pp. 1-98 (www.scrfa.org).

CITES, 2006. Development of fisheries management tools for trade in humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus, in compliance with Article IV of CITES. Final Report of CITES Project No. A-254 undertaken by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources - World Conservation Union/Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group.© Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), June 2006

Dragon Search Report. 1996. The market analysis of live reef fish market in Hong Kong and China. The Reef Fish Aquaculture Series (QI96105), Report No. 1.

Johannes, R.E. & Riepen, M. 1995. Environmental, economic, and social implications of the live reef fish trade in Asia and the Western Pacific. The Nature Conservancy and the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency, 79pp.

Lau, P.P.F. & Parry-Jones, R. 1999. The Hong Kong trade in live reef fish for food. TRAFFIC Hong Kong, 65pp.

McGilvray, F. & Chan, T.C.C. 2001. The trade in live reef food fish: a Hong Kong perspective. International Marinelife Alliance. 16pp.

McGilvray, F. & Chan, T. 2003. Market and industry demand issues in the live reef food fish trade. Secretariat for the Pacific Community. Live Reef Fish Information Bulletin, 11: 36-39.

Sadovy, Y, Kulbicki M., Labrosse P, Letourneur Y., Lokani, P., & Donaldson, T. J. 2003. The humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus: synopsis of a threatened and poorly known giant coral reef fish. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 13 (3):327-364.

Samoilys, M.A. (ed.) 1997. Manual for Assessing Fish Stocks on Pacific Coral Reefs. Dept. Primary Indust, Queensland, Training Series QE97009, 75 pp.


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ANNEX I

Trader questionnaire on HHW: Hong Kong and southern China

Date Name of interviewee

Importer / Wholesaler / Restaurant

owner

Address/Location

How long in the business

Business trends in 10 years & why

HHW (kg or %) business trends in 10 years & why

HHW price trends (by size) in 10 years

Any HHW preferred size & any change in 10 years & why

Can you easily get the preferred size & why, not, if not

% of HHW and preferred fish size in your HHW business

HHW turnover rate

Where (countries) do you buy HHW from, any changes over the last 10 years &, if so,

why


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Where do you sell HHW, any changes in the last 10 years

Do you re-export HHW to China, since when & where

How do you transport HHW

Mortality & reason & solution

Do you need a permit for HHW trade

Any monitor/legislation/enforcement

Are you aware of quotas


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ANNEX 2

Survey locations for underwater visual census work in Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Survey sites 1-3 off Sumbawa. For a sum of all survey sites, see Figure 2. Details of survey tracks at the upper of the three sites indicated in boxes is shown upper right, while that of the lower of the three sites is shown to the lower right. Malfunctioning of the GPS unit precluded survey tracks from being available for the third (Sape, central) site. No Napoleon wrasse were sighted in any of the surveys. Survey sites 4-6 off Banta Is. For an overview of all survey sites, see Figure 2: additional survey details Annex III. Details of survey tracks at Banta are shown on the righthand side. Different coloured tracks (shown in white in black/white version of report) indicate different people conducting the surveys: 2 Napoleon wrasses were seen during these surveys.


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Survey sites 7 and 8 off north Komodo. For an overview of all survey sites, see Figure 2 and for additional survey details, see Annex III. Details of survey tracks are shown on the righthand side. Different coloured tracks (all appearing white in black/white version of report) indicate different people conducting the surveys: 3 Napoleon wrasses were seen during these surveys. Survey sites 9 and 10 off south Komodo and near Pulau Mas. For an overview of all survey sites, see Figure 2 and for additional survey details, see Annex III. Details of survey tracks off south Komodo (lower left box) appear in the central photo. Those of tracks north of Pulau Mas in the right hand photo. Different coloured tracks (all appear white in black/white version of report) indicate different people conducting the surveys: 2 Napoleon wrasses were seen during these surveys.


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* Survey sites 11, 12 and 13 off the northeastern side of Komodo National Park. For an overview of all survey sites, see Figure 2 and for additional survey details, see Annex III. Details of survey tracks from the large box (in the upper lefthand image) are to be found in the two lower pictures which have different magnifications. Track details from the small, upper, box (in the upper lefthand image) appear in the upper righthand photo. Different coloured tracks (all are white in black/white version of report) indicate different people conducting the surveys: 4 Napoleon wrasses were seen during these surveys.


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ANNEX III

Summary of underwater visual census survey results between Sumbawa and Flores

Survey Summary List 6-12 April 2006 Date Surv. No. Trans. No. Observ** DistanceArea HHW TL (m) Surveyed (cm) (m square) 6-Apr-06 1 1 PLC 544 Preliminary 0 2 1 PLC 1,562 31,220 0 07-Apr-06 3 1 PLC 1,956 37,700 0 08-Apr-06 4 1 PLC 1,677 33,520 0 2 SS 1,315 26,300 0 3 YS 1,611 32,220 0 5 1 PLC 1,266 24,720 0 2 SS 1,233 18,471 0 3 YS 1,234 18,472 1 30 6 1 PLC 952 14,022 1 5 to 6 2 SS 1,524 22,830 0 3 YS 1,244 18,636 0 09-Apr-06 7 1 PLC 1,028 10,280 0 2 SS 434 4,136 1 6 to 7 3 YS 595 5,670 0 4 PLC 596 3,509 0 5 SS 527 5,022 2 15, 15 6 YS 992 9,454 0 7 PLC 1,103 11,030 0 8 SS 720 6,862 0 9 YS 568 5,402 0 8 1 PLC 1,575 12,300 0 2 SS 992 7,737 0 3 YS 1,196 9,329 0 10-Apr-06 9 1 PLC 1,341 20,340 0


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2 SS 1,365 20,828 0 3 YS 1,132 17,273 0 4 PLC 1,152 8,000 0 5 SS 1,150 9,154 0 6 YS 1,259 10,022 0 10 1 PLC 1,083 4,332 0 2 SS 1,087 4,348 0 3 YS 1,122 4,488 2 15-20, 10 4 PLC 645 2,580 0 5 SS 606 2,424 0 6 YS 530 2,120 0 11-Apr-06 11 1 PLC 1,445 11,310 0 2 SS 782 6,194 1 10 to 15 3 YS 553 4,380 0 4 SS 197 1,549 0 5 YS 284 2,252 0 12 1 PLC 1,178 8,732 0 2 SS 1,278 10,684 0 3 YS 1,297 10,843 2 12, 15 4 PLC 512 10,240 0 5 SS 472 9,440 0 6 YS 459 9,180 0 13 1 PLC 493 2,958 0 2 SS 429 2,574 0 3 YS 380 2,280 0 4 PLC 1,100 11,000 0 5 SS 897 8,970 0 6 YS* 900 9,000 1 8 Total Distance 51,572 11 Total Area 596,337 * problems with GPS, tracks not indicated on map but parallel for entire transect with Santi ** PLC=Pat Colin; SS=Santi Suharti; YS=Yvonne Sadovy

Final Report: Y. Sadovy/IUCN Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group

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ANNEX IV - List of Participants and Programme outline for Workshop in Hong Kong held on January 13th, 2006. Name Post Affiliation 1. Mr. CHEUNG Chi-sun Senior Endangered Species Protection Officer Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 2. Mr. Boris KWAN Sai-ping Endangered Species Protection Officer Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 3. Ms. Pauline TONG Yee-fun Endangered Species Protection Officer Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 4. Ms. CHAN Yu-nam Endangered Species Protection Officer Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department

漁 5. Dr. MAK Yiu-ming Fisheries Officer (Fisheries Impact Assessment) Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 6. Ms. Louise LI Wai-hung Fisheries Officer (Fisheries Marketing) Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 7. Ms. Jacqueline LEE Lai-yee Inspector, Intelligence Analyst of Central

Intelligence Office Customs and Excise Department

8. Mr. Samuel LEE Kwok-hung Senior Programme Officer TRAFFIC East Asia 9. Dr. Yvonne SADOVY Chair IUCN Specialist Group for Groupers &

Wrasses; Associate Professor IUCN; The University of Hong Kong 香港大學

10. Mr. William CHEUNG Wai-lung PhD Student; Teaching Consultant教學顧問 University of British Columbia, University of HK 香港大學

11. Mr. Eric BOHM Chief Executive Officer World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong 12. Dr. Andy CORNISH Director of Conservation World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong 13. Mr. Clarus CHU Conservation Officer – Marine World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong 14. Mr. LEE Choi-wah Chairman Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants Ltd 15. Mr. YIK Kwok-leung, Andy Vice-chairman Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants Ltd 16. Mr. WONG Ho-ting Vice-chairman Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants Ltd 17. Mr. K.C. Pang Vice-chairman Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants Ltd 18. Mr. K.S. LEE Administrative Officer Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants Lt 19. Mr. LAW Pak-fuk生 Person-in-charge Fuk Chai Sea Food 20. Mr. FUNG Tai-ming Person-in-charge Luen Hop Marine Product Trading Co. 21. Mr. PANG Chairman Hong Kong Fishermen’s Association 22. Mr. KWOK Executive Committee Hong Kong Fishermen’s Association

Final Report: Y. Sadovy/IUCN Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group

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Programme of Hong Kong Humphead Wrasse Workshop (13 January 2006) Time Programme Person-in-charge Opening 09:30 – 09:45 Welcome speech

Introduction of participants AFCD

Background to the workshop 09:45 – 10:05 CITES and how it works TRAFFIC EA 10:05 – 10:25 Appendix II listing of HHW IUCN 10:25 – 10:45 Mariculture potential and progress IUCN 10:45 – 11:15 Coffee Break Implementation of HHW listing 11:15 – 11:35 Implementation of HHW listing on the import

side (in Hong Kong) AFCD

11:35 - 11:55 A model for implementation of HHW listing on the export side (including NDF and their permitting system)

IUCN

11:55 – 01:00 Lunch Challenges and opportunities of the trade 01:00 – 03:30 Open forum :

(1) Identifying the challenges for the trade (2) Identifying possible future actions & schedules (3) Works on consumer awareness

Facilitator: TRAFFIC EA

03:30 – 04:00 Coffee Break 04:00 – 04:30 Summary of the open forum AFCD REMARKS: Dr. Yvonne Sadovy represented IUCN Mr. Samuel Lee represented TRAFFIC EA

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