The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw, or air bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of many fish to control their buoyancy. Sadly, trade in this organ is very lucrative and the demand in supply from African countries is increasing.
As is the case with sea cucumbers, shark fins, and abalone, fish swim bladders are considered a delicacy in China, where they are also thought to have special medicinal properties for boosting immunity.
The fish caught to harvest bladders are of various species but many come from fisheries in Africa. While trade statistics suggest that the fish swim bladder trade from Africa to Hong Kong has expanded from 2012 to 2019, little information is currently available on harvesting, processing, and trade practices in Africa, particularly for bladders sourced from marine fish species.
While the method and manner of trade in fish swim bladder is still somewhat murky, this trade highlights the difficulty of fighting wildlife trafficking. When trade in one species or its parts is regulated or prohibited, it is common for consumers to switch to other species or similar products. Fish swim bladder is now used as a substitute for shark fins, as those have become increasingly difficult to obtain thanks to national and international bans on shark fin trade.
Additionally, the trade in fish swim bladder acts as a cover for illegal wildlife trafficking. The fish swim bladder trade is not strongly controlled and the species harvested to supply the trade are not monitored or recorded. Traffickers capitalize on this lack of regulation and use it as a cover for other wildlife products being traded illegally, like pangolin scales, seahorses, or shark fins. Indeed, in 2013, more than 775 pieces of elephant ivory were found hidden among fish swim bladders in a 20 foot container in Uganda that was destined for Malaysia.
Just as consumers shift from one product to another as trade conditions change, so too do they move from one country to another when the stock of a wildlife product is exhausted in one area. Therefore, monitoring the fish swim bladder trade must be collaborative across national boundaries.
Born Free USA will address this high-value but little-known trade in upcoming law enforcement training programs planned in West Africa to ensure that customs officials are aware of the trade and maintain up-to-date export data that can be used to monitor the trade, and take action, across the region.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Aurora
