Sourcing Marine Fishes and Invertebrates

Jay Hemdal

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Sourcing Marine Fishes and Invertebrates

Experienced aquarists are aware that fishes from different regions of the world can have different levels of sustainability when acquired for their aquariums. The reasons for these differences may include collection technique (the use of cyanide for example), overharvesting, or poor handling after collection. The following are some general descriptions regarding the relative sustainability of animals from various regions. These issues are not static, and they can and will change over time as well as from one supplier to another. Also, please understand this information was compiled over 40 years and during that time, some details will have changed. In addition, this information is fairly subjective and may apply mostly to trade in the United States.

More sustainable sources for wild caught marine fish and invertebrates

United States - Reef animals collected in Florida and Hawaii are moderately well-regulated and only nets and traps are used for capture. Additionally, most collectors maintain adequate to excellent holding facilities. There have been a few recent instances where some Florida area collectors have been convicted of wildlife infractions. A Google search for “Operation Rock Bottom” may help identify these “bad actors”. Aquarium fish collection in Hawaii has been restricted as of 2020.

Japan – This country is a good source for their endemic tropical and temperate species, as well as when this country acts as an importer and re-exporter of fish from other locations. Due to Japan’s high costs and logistics for shipping, animals from this country command a premium price in the west.

Australia – Animals from this region are collected under special license, and are typically handled quite well. Since this is a first world country, and shipping to other regions is costly, animals from this region imported into the United States and Europe are quite expensive. There is some concern in that since Australia takes its environmental issues very seriously, and only allows limited permits, it is unknown if marine aquarium collections will be allowed going forward.

Sri Lanka – Rumor has it that cyanide is not routinely used to collect fish in this region. However, Rodney Jonklaas, a well-known collector in the region back in the 1960’s mentions fish being collected “with cyanide gas”. He then went on to be a premier net fish collector (but would still use unknown “soporifics” for collecting some fish such as firefish and other small cryptic species. In addition, not all exporters have good quality holding systems, and some Sri Lankan exporters import fish from other regions for subsequent resale, and the relative sustainability of those fish is unknown. Recent serious issues with the economy of this country (circa 2022) may lead to quality issues going forward.

East Africa/Maldives – Generally, this region produces very high-quality animals. One example is the common cleaner wrasse. From most Indo-Pacific sources, this species fares poorly in aquariums, but those from this region are quite hardy. As with Sri Lanka, exporters in this region may import fish (usually Red Sea species) from other regions that have unknown sustainability.

Fiji – Only a few exporters operate in this country, and their animals are similar in high quality as those from Hawaii. In 2018, Fiji banned the export of corals and live rock from their country. The few exporters here must now contend with shipping only fishes, which definitely impacts their bottom line.

Marshall Islands – Most fish collected from this region are subsequently exported and re-sold by Hawaiian dealers. The only real concern is possible over-collection of flame angelfish and other high-value, less common species.

Papua New Guinea – Exports from this region of Oceania have been tried from time to time over the past decade. In late 2021, a new exporter has begun shipping from this region to the Philippines, for re-export to other countries. This exporter strives to be sustainable and uses net collecting techniques.


Areas of unknown sustainability

Brazil – Very little information is available regarding marine fish collected from this region, but the presence of the Brazilian royal gramma in the pet trade indicates that marine fish from this region do enter the pet trade. Freshwater fishes from this country seem to be well-regulated, including restrictions on the export of rare species. However, it is suspected that some Brazilian freshwater fishes are collected, and then smuggled into neighboring countries for re-export, circumventing the laws that Brazil has in place to protect them.

Costa Rica – This region is a bit of an enigma. Having coasts on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, suppliers may offer fish from both regions. Their collection methods and sustainability are unknown.

Dominican Republic – Sharing an island with Haiti (known to be unsustainable for marine fish collections) this country has unknown sustainability.

Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Yemen – Exports made from these countries may be sustainable, but much is unknown about these exporters. Additionally, political and governmental instability have tended to open and close these exporters over the years.

Mexico – It is thought that this country has halted all exports of live marine fish (i.e., they are not issuing collecting permits). However, the presence of Passer angelfish, blue spotted jawfish and juvenile Garibaldi in the aquarium trade seems to bring that into question. These fish may be originating from Costa Rica though. One well-known collector in Mexico was convicted in 2011 of illegally collecting Clipperton Angelfish (Holocanthus limbaughi) and subsequently reselling them as “Blue Passer Angelfish”. This incident may have then led to the closure of marine fish collection in Mexico.

New Caledonia – Only one or perhaps two collectors operate in this region, with their primary export being the Conspicuous angelfish, Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus. Other species collected in this region can generally be acquired at less expense from other regions. The extensive travel time from this region adds to the stress these animals undergo in shipping to the end consumers.

Oman – Recently opened to some marine fish collection (2022), sustainability is unknown at the present time. Initial reports are that the quality of these fish is very good.

Saudi Arabia – Rumors surface from time to time, that fishes from this Red Sea collecting region are less sturdy than those from other areas.

Ghana – From time to time, shipments of marine fish originate from this country. The relative hardiness of these fish indicates that cyanide is not being used. However, there are some scammers at work in this region who will take your money and never send any fish.



Areas where marine fish collections are known to be less sustainable

Haiti - Overharvesting of Condylactis anemones is suspected from this country, as well as some dubious transactions involving live rock and mushroom anemones. Transshipped Haitian fish (royal gramma, pygmy angelfish and jawfish) have flooded the US market with cheap, but weak fish for decades. It is not always possible to know which fish are collected in Florida and which were imported from Haiti and then resold as “Florida fish”. One key is the species involved; Pygmy Angelfish and Royal Gramma sold by Florida collectors are simply not collected there, as they are not found in that region. There is also some suspicion that collectors in this country use drugs to capture their fish (most likely quinaldine). One dealer in the United States was convicted of selling Ricordea sp. mushrooms that were reported to have been collected in Haiti, but were actually illegally harvested in Florida waters. He served jail time, but in 2022, he again began to try to market the same species to the public.

Hong Kong - The live food fish markets in Hong Kong are notorious for selling fish collected with cyanide for human consumption. The presumption is that their aquarium fish supplies are likewise compromised.

Philippines - The first country to use cyanide to collect marine aquarium fish, dating back to the early 1960’s, creating a culture of cheap, but poor-quality fish. In the 1970’s the high mortality rate of fish from this region contributed to a high turnover of home marine aquarists. In one informal industry poll, the average time a person spent in the marine aquarium hobby was just nine months. While there have been some recent improvements to the quality of fish from this country, much of what is exported is still not sustainable; Hepatus tangs, colored carpet anemones and other species have become more rarely exported from the region, pointing to overharvesting. In addition, there are still a number of “grade B” fish originating from this country that are handled poorly, and most likely still collected with cyanide. These lower quality fish are often smaller in size, are thin and have poor health – but they are cheap. In the past few years, a few exporters have begun to try to clean up the export trade in the Philippines.

Vietnam - A relative newcomer to the marine aquarium trade, there have been some concerns about the quality of fish from this region, especially with penned raised seahorses. Rumors indicate that cyanide use may also be prevalent. The secretariat for CITES has identified that this country is unsustainably supplying seahorses to the trade, mostly as dried animals used in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Indonesia- From the late 1970’s to the early 1980’s, Indonesia was seen as a better option than acquiring cyanide-collected fish from the Philippines. Starting around 1982, cyanide collection suddenly became more common in this country, and the quality of their exported fish quickly dropped. A telling tale was seen in 1981, when an importer noticed a drop in price for adult Emperor angelfish. When he asked his exporter why, he was told; “We now catch batman with magic”. “Batman” referred to the head mask of that species, and “magic” was evidently sodium cyanide. More recently, rumors arose that CITES export documents for live corals could be purchased from the government, with no regard to quotas. In 2018, Indonesia halted the export of all stony corals in response to these abuses. That restriction was later lifted, but their history of problems remains.

Singapore - Exporters in this area serve mainly as forwarding agents for fish collected in other regions. The extra handling reduces their thriftiness, and the origins of the fish may include those from known cyanide collection areas. There are a few species collected locally; some clownfish, a few butterflyfish and tasseled filefish. These tend to be sturdier than the non-local fish offered by these exporters.

Solomon Islands - Rumors have it that at least some collectors in this region use cyanide. In 2016, the CITES secretariat has identified that this country is unsustainably harvesting Tridacna clams (most likely for the food trade). This region does seem to have sustainable coral propagation suppliers.

Taiwan - Exporters here often import fish from many other, undocumented regions. Additionally, many fish originating here are collected at a very large size and do not adapt well to captivity, while other smaller animals of the same species from different sources fare better.


Of course, aquarists should always beware of acquiring any fish that have an unknown history; as they then have no basis for knowing how healthy the fish are, or where they originated from.
 
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This article is priceless. I've been rethinking the ethics of my fish keeping standards recently and no better place to start then the source. I will be using this when I'm discussing future purchases with my LFS. I believe I may have lost both a Bellus Angel and a Naoko wrasse to poor collection and those deaths both hit me hard.

Thank you!
 
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Jay Hemdal

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This article is priceless. I've been rethinking the ethics of my fish keeping standards recently and no better place to start then the source. I will be using this when I'm discussing future purchases with my LFS. I believe I may have lost both a Bellus Angel and a Naoko wrasse to poor collection and those deaths both hit me hard.

Thank you!
Thanks,

I just wish I had more data, and that the information wasn't so subjective. There is also the issue of importers lying about the source of fish - calling every large Harlequin tuskfish as "Australian" for example.

Jay
 

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Sourcing marine fishes and invertebrates​


Experienced aquarists are aware that fishes from different regions of the world can have different levels of sustainability when acquired for their aquariums. The reasons for these differences may include collection technique (the use of cyanide for example), overharvesting, or poor handling after collection. The following are some general descriptions regarding the relative sustainability of animals from various regions. Please understand that these issues are not static, and they can and will change over time as well as from one supplier to another.

More sustainable sources for wild caught marine fish and invertebrates

United States - Reef animals collected in Florida and Hawaii are moderately well-regulated and only nets and traps are used for capture. Additionally, most collectors maintain adequate to excellent holding facilities. There have been a few recent instances where some Florida area collectors have been convicted of wildlife infractions. A Google search for “Operation Rock Bottom” may help identify these “bad actors”. Aquarium fish collection in Hawaii has been restricted as of 2020.

Japan – This country is a good source for their endemic tropical and temperate species, as well as when this country acts as an importer and re-exporter of fish from other locations. Due to Japan’s high costs and logistics for shipping, animals from this country command a premium price in the west.

Australia – Animals from this region are collected under special license, and are typically handled quite well. Since this is a first world country, and shipping to other regions is costly, animals from this region imported into the United States and Europe are quite expensive.

Sri Lanka – Rumor has it that cyanide is not used to collect fish in this region. However, not all exporters have good quality holding systems, and some exporters import fish from other regions for subsequent resale, and the relative sustainability of those fish is unknown. Recent serious issues with the economy of this country (circa 2022) may lead to quality issues going forward.

East Africa/Maldives – Generally, this region produces very high-quality animals. One example is the common cleaner wrasse. From most Indo-Pacific sources, this species fares poorly in aquariums, but those from this region are quite hardy.

Fiji – Only a few exporters operate in this country, and their animals are similar in high quality as those from Hawaii. In 2018, Fiji banned the export of corals from their country. The few exporters here must now contend with shipping only fishes, which definitely impacts their bottom line.

Marshall Islands – Most fish collected from this region are subsequently exported and re-sold by Hawaiian dealers. The only real concern is possible over-collection of flame angelfish and other high-value, less common species.

Papua New Guinea – Exports from this region of Oceania have been tried from time to time. In late 2021, a new exporter has begun shipping from this region to the Philippines, for export to other countries. This exporter strives to be sustainable and uses net collecting techniques.


Areas of unknown sustainability


Brazil – Very little information is available regarding marine fish collected from this region, but the presence of the Brazilian royal gramma in the pet trade indicates that marine fish from this region do enter the pet trade. Freshwater fishes from this country seem to be well-regulated, including restrictions on the export of rare species. However, it is suspected that some Brazilian freshwater fishes are collected, and then smuggled into neighboring countries for re-export, circumventing the laws that Brazil has in place to protect them.

Costa Rica – This region is a bit of an enigma. Having coasts on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, suppliers may offer fish from both regions. Their collection methods and sustainability are unknown.

Dominican Republic – Sharing an island with Haiti (known to be unsustainable for marine fish collections) this country has unknown sustainability.

Mexico – It is thought that this country has halted all exports of live marine fish (i.e., they are not issuing permits). However, the presence of Passer angelfish, bluespotted jawfish and juvenile Garibaldi in the aquarium trade seems to bring that into question. These fish may be originating from Costa Rica though.

New Caledonia – Only one or perhaps two collectors operate in this region, with their primary export being the Conspicuous angelfish, Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus. Other species collected in this region can generally be acquired at less expense from other regions. The extensive travel time from this region adds to the stress these animals undergo in shipping to the end consumers.

Oman – Recently opened to some marine fish collection (2022), sustainability is unknown at the present time. Initial reports are that the quality of fish is very good.

Saudi Arabia – Rumors surface from time to time, that fishes from this Red Sea collecting region are less sturdy than those from other areas.

Ghana – From time to time, shipments of marine fish originate from this country. The relative hardiness of these fish indicates that cyanide is not being used. However, there are some scammers at work in this region who will take your money and never send you any fish.


Areas where marine fish collections are known to be less sustainable

Haiti - Overharvesting of Condylactis anemones is suspected from this country, as well as some dubious transactions involving live rock and mushroom anemones. Transshipped Haitian fish (royal gramma, pygmy angelfish and jawfish) have flooded the US market with cheap, but weak fish for decades. There is also some suspicion that collectors in this country use drugs to capture their fish (most likely quinaldine). One dealer in the United States was convicted of selling Ricordea sp. mushrooms that were reported to have been collected in Haiti, but were actually illegally harvested in Florida waters. He served jail time, but in 2022, he again began to try to market the same species to the public.

Hong Kong - The live food fish markets in Hong Kong are notorious for selling fish collected with cyanide for human consumption. The presumption is that their aquarium fish supplies are likewise compromised.

Philippines - The first country to use cyanide to collect marine aquarium fish, dating back to the early 1960’s, there has been some recent improvements to the quality of fish from this country. There are still a number of “grade B” fish originating from this country that are handled poorly, and most likely still collected with cyanide. These lower quality fish are often smaller in size, are thin and have poor health – but they are cheap. In the past few years, a few exporters have begun to try to clean up the export trade.

Vietnam - A relative newcomer to the marine aquarium trade, there have been some concerns about the quality of fish from this region, especially penned raised seahorses. Rumors indicate that cyanide use may also be prevalent. The secretariat for CITES has identified that this country is unsustainably supplying seahorses to the trade, mostly as dried animals used in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Indonesia- From the late 1970’s to the early 1980’s, Indonesia was seen a better option than acquiring cyanide-collected fish from the Philippines. Starting around 1982, cyanide collection suddenly became more common in this country, and the quality of their exported fish quickly dropped. More recently, rumors arose that CITES export documents for corals could be purchased from the government, with no regard to quotas. In 2018, Indonesia halted the export of all stony corals in response to these abuses. That restriction was later lifted, but their history of problems remain.

Singapore - Exporters in this area serve mainly as forwarding agents for fish collected in other regions. The extra handling reduces their thriftiness, and the origins of the fish may include those from known cyanide collection areas. There are a few species collected locally; some clownfish, a few butterflyfish and tasseled filefish. These tend to be sturdier than the non-local fish offered by these exporters.

Solomon Islands - Rumors have it that at least some collectors in this region use cyanide. In 2016, the CITES secretariat has identified that this country is unsustainably harvesting Tridacna clams (most likely for the food trade). This region does seem to have sustainable coral propagation suppliers.

Taiwan - Exporters here often import fish from many other, undocumented regions. Additionally, many fish originating here are collected at a very large size and do not adapt well to captivity, while other smaller animals of the same species from different sources fare better.


Of course, aquarists should always beware of acquiring any fish that have an unknown history; as they then have no basis for knowing how healthy the fish are, or where they originated from.
Great article Jay! Unfortunately I find it difficult to get true information as to the source of the fish from the fish store. Also like you mentioned the fish store could be told one thing, but the fish actually came from somewhere else.
 

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In Indonesia the use of cyanide (or other poisons) is still very common. As one of Bali's most famous exporters explains in this video (in French, his mother tongue).
 

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Papua New Guinea – Exports from this region of Oceania have been tried from time to time. In late 2021, a new exporter has begun shipping from this region to the Philippines, for export to other countries. This exporter strives to be sustainable and uses net collecting techniques.

A long-time friend of mine oversaw this back in the early-mid 2010's under the name "Ecoaquariums PNG." Unfortunately that ended up not being profitable.

However, in early 2013, after 30 shipments were made between 2011 and 2012 (to the US, Europe, and Asia), the company ceased operations due to its economic non-viability. Freight costs, the high price per fish paid to collectors, the difficulty in keeping collectors (at Fishermen Island in particular) engaged in the trade due to other more lucrative opportunities (e.g. tuna fishing) all seem to have significantly contributed to this outcome


Glad to see this area being explored again. Any idea if/where those fish are ending up here in the States?
 
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Thank you Sir,
So how do we as customers place pressure upstream to ensure know sourcing of fish we buy

We have shown the willingness to pay the extra for captive borne/raised
Many have demonstrated the wellness to pay extra for QT'd stock

Show our willingness to pay extra-for Grade A collection locales? how do we avoid the scam?

Thanks again for your dedication
 
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Jay Hemdal

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Great article Jay! Unfortunately I find it difficult to get true information as to the source of the fish from the fish store. Also like you mentioned the fish store could be told one thing, but the fish actually came from somewhere else.
Yes - that is an issue. The shorter the supply chain, the more likely the collection iformation goes along with the fish. Quality Marine, a wholesaler in LA sells fish with some basic collection information (but they say SE Asia for both Indonesia and the Phillippines).

Jay
 
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Jay Hemdal

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Thank you Sir,
So how do we as customers place pressure upstream to ensure know sourcing of fish we buy

We have shown the willingness to pay the extra for captive borne/raised
Many have demonstrated the wellness to pay extra for QT'd stock

Show our willingness to pay extra-for Grade A collection locales? how do we avoid the scam?

Thanks again for your dedication

I'm part of a committee of public aquarists working on increasing sustainability of aquarium fish. We are focused on cpative breeding, but also, of showing a preference to higher grade fish, or even to directing the packing of fish being shipped. For example, a shipper might put 160 tiny green chromis in a Philippine double box. We would ask them to only put 80 fish inside. That doubles the shipping cost, but increases the survivorbility by even more than that.

There is not much you can do to put pressure on the supply chain from the retail level. You can at least ask where the fish come from. That might make the store more inclined to ask THEIR supplier where the fish came from.


Jay
 
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Jay Hemdal

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In Indonesia the use of cyanide (or other poisons) is still very common. As one of Bali's most famous exporters explains in this video (in French, his mother tongue).


Can you summarize this? I don't speak French.

Jay
 
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Jay Hemdal

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A long-time friend of mine oversaw this back in the early-mid 2010's under the name "Ecoaquariums PNG." Unfortunately that ended up not being profitable.




Glad to see this area being explored again. Any idea if/where those fish are ending up here in the States?

Your friend isn't Steve Robinson is he? Steve did some test shipments out of PNG, but I think that was before 2010.

Yes, the current PNG fish are being shipped to the Philippines and then some are going to the States. I'm not sure I should discuss company names here though, especially since I have not acquired any of these fish myself.

Jay
 

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Great post Jay! I know sustainability is not often talked about in this hobby but definitely is a part of it. But there are definitely ways to be more sustainable in this hobby such as buying only captive-bred or supporting a coral farm or even buying a used setup. At this point most corals are farmed and all my own fish are captive-bred which makes me really happy. And when compared to the seafood industry the aquarium industry has a minimal impact in the big picture of our individual carbon footprint etc.
 

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Your friend isn't Steve Robinson is he? Steve did some test shipments out of PNG, but I think that was before 2010.

Yes, the current PNG fish are being shipped to the Philippines and then some are going to the States. I'm not sure I should discuss company names here though, especially since I have not acquired any of these fish myself.

Jay

No, my friend is no longer in the industry but made his mark overseeing the collection of the original lightning maroon clown. At least a few of Ecoaquariums shipments ended up at That Fish Place in Lancaster, PA where we worked as teens.

Perhaps Steve was involved in the Seasmart operation that my friend took over with the help of private equity.
 

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Thanks you for your write up and all your contributions to the hobby.

Is there any future in which vendors and collectors could be certified to ensure they are using sustainable practices for sourcing? The automotive industry has required this for years
 

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Thanks you for your write up and all your contributions to the hobby.

Is there any future in which vendors and collectors could be certified to ensure they are using sustainable practices for sourcing? The automotive industry has required this for years
This is where the cost and oversight from governing agencies come it. Most of these fish are coming in from third world countries.

I've worked in government aquaculture/fisheries for about 30 years. We are data collectors, report writers and SOP manual followers. We are required to have college degrees for many positions. It is almost engrained in people I work with into fixing problems when your fish die, but it can cost money and lots of innovations to make things work.
 
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Thanks you for your write up and all your contributions to the hobby.

Is there any future in which vendors and collectors could be certified to ensure they are using sustainable practices for sourcing? The automotive industry has required this for years

Have you heard of the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC)? Years ago, that NFP group got many grants to set up an overview system of sourcing for marine fish collectors. They folded in 2008 because they built such a huge infrastructure, that it collapsed under its own bureaucracy. Basically, they developed a massive system that would track a fish from collector to pet store. The trouble is, that required independant contractors to work in the field every step of the way....at a huge cost.

I took some of their standards (I was working with one of their board members) and tried to develop a more streamlined process for public aquariums - but I was working with no funding. What eventually happened was that our lawyers determined that public aquariums cannot create a "good versus bad" list of commercial vendors. It would be too easy to be sued if we made a mistake and listed one as "bad" and they took offense. That said, here are the criteria that we were going to look for:

1) Organisms will be collected from the wild in such a way that wild populations are not negatively impacted. This includes potential overharvesting, as well as the negative impact posed by unsustainable collection methods such as cyanide poisoning.

2) Organisms will be transported using appropriate techniques to ensure maximum survival, including IATA requirements for international shipments.

3) Organisms are obtained ethically, legally and with all appropriate permits/licenses.

4) Aquaculture facilities or aquatic holding facilities supplying organisms are environmentally friendly in that they have taken appropriate measures not to release chemicals, nutrients, and/or exotic organisms including pathogens into surrounding waters.


Jay
 

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Have you heard of the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC)? Years ago, that NFP group got many grants to set up an overview system of sourcing for marine fish collectors. They folded in 2008 because they built such a huge infrastructure, that it collapsed under its own bureaucracy. Basically, they developed a massive system that would track a fish from collector to pet store. The trouble is, that required independant contractors to work in the field every step of the way....at a huge cost.

I took some of their standards (I was working with one of their board members) and tried to develop a more streamlined process for public aquariums - but I was working with no funding. What eventually happened was that our lawyers determined that public aquariums cannot create a "good versus bad" list of commercial vendors. It would be too easy to be sued if we made a mistake and listed one as "bad" and they took offense. That said, here are the criteria that we were going to look for:

1) Organisms will be collected from the wild in such a way that wild populations are not negatively impacted. This includes potential overharvesting, as well as the negative impact posed by unsustainable collection methods such as cyanide poisoning.

2) Organisms will be transported using appropriate techniques to ensure maximum survival, including IATA requirements for international shipments.

3) Organisms are obtained ethically, legally and with all appropriate permits/licenses.

4) Aquaculture facilities or aquatic holding facilities supplying organisms are environmentally friendly in that they have taken appropriate measures not to release chemicals, nutrients, and/or exotic organisms including pathogens into surrounding waters.


Jay

I have not heard of MAC. Will have to look into it.

Also I understand the hesitation from the legal side to create a good vs bad vendor list. I guess I was thinking something that would be voluntary through a 3rd party that would provide a certification. Similar to ISO certification for environmental. Vendors that are certified would have to have certain practices in place and be willing to participate in annual audits to ensure compliance.

This would give us the ability to chose with confidence vendors we know are using sustainable practices.
 

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Your friend isn't Steve Robinson is he? Steve did some test shipments out of PNG, but I think that was before 2010.

Yes, the current PNG fish are being shipped to the Philippines and then some are going to the States. I'm not sure I should discuss company names here though, especially since I have not acquired any of these fish myself.

Jay
Good old Steve...hahaha. Last time I talked to Steve he was collecting in the Sea of Cortez. Seems like the late 80's or early 90's. Hope he is well and doing fine!
 
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Jay Hemdal

Jay Hemdal

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Good old Steve...hahaha. Last time I talked to Steve he was collecting in the Sea of Cortez. Seems like the late 80's or early 90's. Hope he is well and doing fine!

Stve got popped selling illegal Clipperton angelfish. He is on FB, but I don't think he is in the business any longer.



Jay
 
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