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Juvenile and subadult Humphead wrasse on retail sale in Hong Kong. (Source of photo: Professor Yvonne Sadovy of School of Biological Sciences, HKU)

Widespread illegal and unreported trade in Hong Kong and indications for illegal trade in Mainland China in the endangered and highly valued reef fish, the Humphead wrasse (HHW, So Mei in Cantonese), also known as the Napoleon fish, has been revealed in a new study produced by TRAFFIC and Professor Yvonne Sadovy of School of Biological Sciences, Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong. Thousands of this fish have been seen in local and Mainland markets, and being sold in high-end luxury restaurants, of which only a few hundred are likely to have been legally imported over the last 15 months, according to available information. Many of the fish seen this year to date in retail outlets were likely illegally procured. 

This situation calls for urgent action by the Hong Kong government to ensure that imports and sales are legal that existing regulations are complied with by importers and traders, and to increase the intensity and frequency of inspections of facilities trading the species. “Failure to act to ensure legal and sustainable trade in this globally threatened species will ultimately result in higher prices for Humpheads and fewer fish available to consumers and to the poor fishermen who sell them in source countries: nobody wins,” said Professor Sadovy.

Graphic Legend: As demand for Humphead wrasse increased (dashed line), the numbers of available fish (solid line) declined highlighting the need for management. With ever growing demand, and ongoing illegal trade associated with unsustainable resource use, fish numbers are projected to decline further from source countries if trade is not brought under control.

The Humphead Wrasse was listed on Appendix II of the internationally binding Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2004 which mandates that international trade is legal and not threatening the species with regional or global extinction. Under the Convention, Hong Kong is obligated to monitor international trade and to ensure its legality by documenting international trade. In addition, Hong Kong requires sellers to display, in a public place, a possession licence which shows how many fish can be sold legally within a given time frame, according to measures introduced in the city in 2005. Hong Kong is the major global importer and transshipment trade hub for this globally endangered reef fish species and hence plays a massive role in its commerce.

The Humphead wrasse is a spectacular fish and one of the biggest reef fishes in the world, reported to grow as long as 2 metres. It can live longer than 30 years and is naturally rare and slow-growing. It needs 4-5 years to reach adulthood in the wild. It is a highly valued, luxury, seafood species in the live reef fish trade with retail prices at times approaching US$600 per kilogram in high end hotels in Mainland China. Indonesia is the centre of its natural distribution and is also the major global exporter of the species. Most Humphead Wrasse sold in Hong Kong are juveniles or sub-adult fish, small enough for a dinner plate, because the adults are too big. This means that many fish are sold before they reach adulthood and can replenish their wild populations. This is extremely important since all fish in sale in Hong Kong come from wild populations and it is now rare to see large adult fish in countries that still export the species. Adults are needed for fish population replenishment and recovery and if there is not enough reproduction, populations will decline, as they have done in many countries.