Rene Umberger

Rene Umberger

Maui, Hawaii

Executive Director

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Hi Mark, capture with nets is less harmful to corals than cyanide, but the entire process of net capture, handling and transport is still very harmful to the wildlife with the vast majority perishing within days/weeks/months of capture, though their wild lifespan is measured in years and in some ...more
Great question Sara! The fish are given great care by our team in our well-established tanks until suitable homes are found for them. The high rate of cyanide exposure that we're seeing, combined with the fragility of this wildlife, means the majority of individuals don't survive beyond a month.
Hello Mr. Ho, we are aware of two methods for detecting cyanide-caught fish in the marine aquarium trade: one method employed in the Philippines for a number of years required the sacrifice of the animals; the other method, which our work is based on, does not sacrifice the animals. Here's a lin...more
Thank you Cindy - great question! Once we complete this work, we plan on exploring the development of a simple, cost effective test that hobbyists can use at home. For now, this test is something that U.S. Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Customs can use, and we hope they will soon begin doing so!