March 17, 1997 - Week 11
1997 International Year of the Reef

The Marine Aquarium Trade: Part of the Problem and Part of the Solution?

The marine aquarium trade, which supplies both large public aquaria and individual hobbyists, currently has a worldwide retail value of approximately $200 million. Although this trade is tiny compared to the trade in food fish and other products derived from living marine resources, it is a high-profile trade due to the exotic nature of its product. The marine aquarium trade is based primarily on tropical reef fish, however, live coral and other reef invertebrates are also included.

Supply side: Approximately 85% of marine aquarium fish (or ornamentals) are captured in the waters of the Philippines and Indonesia, while the remaining 15% come from the tropical waters of other regions of the world such as the Caribbean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. The most efficient way to capture these quick, small, colorful fish is to spray them with a tranquilizer and then scoop them up in a hand net. Unfortunately, cyanide, the tranquilizer of choice among ornamental fish collectors, is toxic to fish and other organisms. So, the collection of one ornamental usually results in the unintended death of many other fish and the surrounding coral.

In order to create appropriate habitat in tropical marine aquariums, live coral is also collected by breaking pieces off of the reef. As a result of the marine aquarium trade, coral sustains indirect damage during the capture of marine ornamentals, and direct damage through the harvest of live coral.

Demand side -- The United States of America imports more than 60% of the marine aquarium fish and invertebrates in this international trade, while European and East Asian countries and Australia account for the rest. Nearly all of these imports are purchased by individual aquarium hobbyists for their personal collections, while a small percentage (approximately 1%) are destined for public aquaria.

Although the marine aquarium trade does contribute to the degradation of coral reefs, it is the marine aquarium industry itself that is most active in the search for solutions.

The Marine Aquarium Fish Council (MAFC) is developing a program to certify marine ornamentals. Only aquarium fish which are captured in a sustainable manner will receive MAFC certification, thereby giving consumers the information they need to make an educated purchasing decision.

The Trade Advisory Group (TAG) is also looking at solutions to the environmental problems associated with the marine aquarium trade. TAG member organizations such as the International Marinelife Alliance and the Federation of Fish Collectors of the Philippines have implemented net training programs to convert cyanide fishermen to more sustainable collection methods. Successful efforts by marine aquarium hobbyists to propagate coral in captivity are also taking the pressure off of the remaining wild coral around the world.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Peter Rubec
(Former Chair of TAG)
President IMA-USA
International Marinelife Alliance
2800 4th Street N., Suite 123
St. Petersburg, FL 33704
USA
Tel: (813) 327-9226
Fax: (813) 321-9031

Dr. Vaughan R. Pratt
International Marinelife
Alliance - Philippines

Street address:
36 Sta. Catalina St., cor
Stella Marris St.
Bp. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
Metro Manila
Philippines 1600

Mailing address:
P.O.Box 12648
Ortigas Center Post Office
Pasig City, Metro Manila
Philippines 1600
Tel: (632) 631-4940, 633-5687
Fax: (632) 631-9251
E-mail: imaphil@mnl.sequel.net

Don E. McAllister
Ocean Voice International
Box 37026, 3332 McCarthy Rd.
Ottawa, ON K1V 0W0, Canada
Tel: (613) 264-8986
Fax: (613) 264-9204
E-mail: mcall@superaje.com

Stuart Keefer
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Pier 3/501 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Tel: (401) 576-1508
Fax: (401) 576-1080
E-mail: skeefer@aqua.org

Jamie Resor
World Wildlife Fund
1250 24th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037 USA
Tel: (202) 778-9766
Fax: (202) 861-8324
E-mail: jamie.resor@wwfus.org

John Tullock
American Marinelife Dealers Association
PO Box 9118 Knoxville, TN 37940
Tel: (423) 573-0373
Fax: (423) 573-3521
Email: 74731.1672@compuserve.com

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