US looks to ban imports, exports of a tropical fish threatened by aquarium trade

By PATRICK WHITTLE
Associated Press

The federal government is looking to ban importation and exportation of a species of tropical fish that conservation groups have long said is exploited by the pet trade. The fish is the Banggai cardinalfish, a small striped saltwater fish native to Indonesia. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration listed the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2016 and said at the time that the main threats to the fish included harvest for ornamental aquariums. The agency proposed on Tuesday to apply prohibitions under the Endangered Species Act that would make it unlawful to import or export the species in the United States.