• Between 1.5 and 2 million people worldwide keep marine aquariums, including 800,000 households in the United States alone.
  
  
• 1,471 species of fish are traded worldwide, with global trade ranging between 20 and 24 million individual fish annually.
  
  
• As a result of cyanide use, mortality rates of captured fish are between 5% and 75% within hours of collection, with 20% to 50% of survivors dying soon thereafter. Of those that survive the collection process, another 30% on average die prior to export. Collection using cyanide results in an overall survival rate of less than 1 in 10 fish, at best, and often produces 100% mortality.
  
  
• Mortality statistics from cyanide use does not take into account the high incidental loss of non-target wildlife and damage to the coral reef resulting from this misguided and illegal method of fish capture.
  
  
• Fewer than 10% of marine ornamental aquarium species are currently captive-bred.

Source: Wabnitz, C. (et al). 2003. From Ocean to Aquarium. UNEP World Conservation
Monitoring Centre.