Posted on: Wednesday, November 28, 2001
Tropical fish certification program launched
By Mike Branom
Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. — Like one bad apple spoiling the whole barrel, all it takes to ruin an expensive aquarium is one poorly handled tropical fish.
Now, an organization comprising conservationists, hobbyists, public aquariums and government agencies is establishing standards to keep tropical fish and their environments safe "from reef to retail."
The Honolulu-based Marine Aquarium Council launched its certification system at the Second International Marine Ornamentals Conference yesterday.
"The MAC label will enable consumers worldwide to easily identify marine aquarium organisms that were collected in an environmentally safe manner and handled to ensure optimal health," said Bruce Bunting, a vice president with the World Wildlife Fund and a MAC board member.
Private aquarium ownership is a $300 million industry in the United States, with Americans importing two-thirds of the exotic fish collected in the world, MAC officials said.
Also, harvesting tropical fish for sale is big business in many eastern Pacific countries, with the Philippines and Indonesia accounting for 85 percent of the world's trade.
With so much money at stake, MAC officials hope that certification will provide financial incentives for collectors, wholesalers and retailers to run operations that protect the environment.
The president of one of Florida's largest aquarium retailers said MAC's certification process was long overdue.
"This is one of the best ideas they've come up with," said Alex Brooks, who runs The Aquarium in the Apopka, near Orlando.
The certification movement has been well received by industry members. Bunting said 33 companies in nine countries — including 17 U.S. wholesalers who together account for one-third of America's importing capacity — have committed in the past month to become MAC-certified.
Brooks said many facilities selling tropical fish don't take steps to prevent outbreaks of parasites that can wreak havoc in a closed system, such as an expensive tank.
"They sell (fish) to the retail customers, the customers have problems, and we have to deal with trying to correct their problems after the fact." Brooks said.
A private company, chosen by the MAC, would handle certification. A harvester or retailer would pay to have its facilities and procedures audited, and would receive the MAC label if it passed.
Costs of the certification procedure would ultimately be passed down to the consumers. However, MAC executive director Paul Holthus noted that it could be possible that higher standards in the industry could actually save money by reducing fish mortality.
