220kg grouper: 'The fish is listed as a vulnerable species'

Straits Times Forum 19 Jul 10;

MR HARVEY NEO: 'I find it disconcerting that the sale of a 220kg Queensland grouper (Epinephelus Lanceolatus) to a local restaurant was reported with such relish last Saturday ('Eatery dishing up 220kg monster fish'), to the point of detailing the various prized parts of the fish and how they can be cooked.

The fish is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a vulnerable species. The situation could very well be more serious because actual population data for the fish cannot be ascertained due to its rarity.

Most states in Australia have placed a partial or total ban on the fishing of the Queensland grouper as early as the 1970s. The Andaman Islands have also banned its commercial exploitation.

Such conservation efforts would come to nought if the popular press continues to glamorise the consumption of vulnerable or endangered fish species. The Queensland grouper is the world's largest reef-dwelling fish and a majestic and beautiful creature. It is a pity some can appreciate it only when it is steamed, stewed or stir-fried.'