Six more Aussie Corals to be Banned in Europe

The marine aquarium trade in mainland Europe is soon to be affected by another coral ban. In January 2022 Europe’s Scientific Review Group banned the import of all wild collected Australian Duncanopsammia axifuga, Catalaphyllia jardini, Euphyllia ancora, E. paraancora and E. glabrescens in all of its 27 member countries. 

At the end of 2024, those five species are now joined by the Acanthastrea, Turbinaria, Cyphastrea, Heliofungia, Pectinia and Moseleya genera, taking at least 11 popular LPS corals in total off the European menu. 

If “Acanthastrea” includes valid species A.echinata, the former A.lordhowensis, and the former A.bowerbanki, the list is even larger, with Aussie Micro lords (Acans) becoming the biggest loss from European reef tanks in the future. 

British coral ban

Since Brexit, we have experienced a different Aussie coral ban in the UK, with our JNCC department declaring the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland out of bounds except for four species. In the UK, the only four coral species/genera we are allowed to import from Queensland are Catalaphyllia jardinei, Blastomussa spp, Cycloseris spp. and Homophyllia bowerbanki (formerly Acanthastrea bowerbanki). So now Brits are allowed bowers from Eastern Australia, but mainland Europe won’t be.   

The European ban is also different in that it is not specific to one area of Australia but lists specific corals instead. The latest information was provided by a marine livestock importer, Amblard, in France, but as soon as we can get clarity on the Acanthastrea and if it actually includes Micromussa lordhowensis and Homophyllia bowerbanki, we will update this story.