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[PeterIMA]

World Bank Annual Report 2009

GEF-Marine Aquarium Market Transformation Initiative (MAMTI)
Geographic focus Regional Practice area Biodiversity
Donor Funding $7,365,000 Project Cost $22,731,000
Donors GEF Start Date 2004-09-10
Description The project uses conservation management and rehabilitation to ensure the health of coral reef ecosystems and their contribution to poverty alleviation and food security, by 1) transforming at least 17 percent of the worldwide marine aquarium industry, 2) establishing marine management areas, and 3) increasing awareness of the benefits of harvesting marine ornamentals in a manner that conserves global biodiversity. The objective is to transform the marine aquarium trade of the Philippines and Indonesia to ecological and economic sustainability.

Status update
An independent Mid-Term Review (MTR) was conducted and determined that the project was not achieving meaningful results in developing a sustainable system for certifying marine aquarium organisms that fostered market transformation. Recurrent problems with the sponsor's management of the project - grant resources and multistakeholder processes in particular - and the inability to adapt the project approach to new information, have irreparably damaged the critical partnerships upon which the project was founded. Based on the MTR and project supervision, IFC has decided to cancel the grant to the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) and terminate the MAMTI project.

[PeterIMA]

The mid-term report (MTR) produced by an independent consultant for the World Bank International Finance Corporation (IFC) provides a scathing assessment of MAC's mismanagment of the Marine Aquarium Marketing Transformation Initiative (MAMTI). The MTR resulted in the IFC cancelling funding for MAC-MAMTI during 2008. The report can be found on the MAC website at the following URL

Peter Rubec

www.aquariumcouncil.org/pdf/MAMTI%20MTR.pdf

[mwp]

I'm curious why, if this is "old news" with funds being cancelled in 2008, it's being posted here now, 2 years later? Am I missing something?

FWIW, I did skim the PDF's introduction, and while vague, this one bullet point does say a lot and beats a drum we're all hearing and headed for:

The marine aquarium trade needs to use better practices to ensure its long-term sustainability. This industry
needs standards for its own self-regulation and a professional organization to manage/administer these
standards and the certification process;

I would LOVE to one day look at the Aquarium Industry with a different viewpoint than I currently do....that's all I'm sayin'. Up to the players to make that happen!

[PeterIMA]

While the goals of the MAMTI proposal are worthwhile, the proof is in what was actually done and what was accomplished. The MAMTI review by Dr. Bellamy (an independent consultant to the World Bank IFC) is an indictment of how the senior managers (Paul Holthus with MAC, Andreas Merkel with CCIF, and Dr. Gregor Hodgeson of ReefCheck) mismanaged the project to their own financial engrandizement and to the detriment of the collectors, communities, and to the detriment to the coral reef systems they professed to be trying to protect/conserve.

The participants of this thread (Industry Behind the Hobby) had members who were strong defenders of MAC and MAMTI and others (like myself and Steve Robinson) who were very critical. It is of interest that the consultant recommended that the program could be salvaged by shifting the focus of MAMTI to the local level by reducing its top heavy management expenditures. Instead the IFC pulled the plug on it sometime during 2008. I only found out about that recently (while googling on the web). It is to the credit of David Manienti (present Executive Director of MAC) that the MAMTI mid-term review is available on the MAC website (although I was not able to find the report by going to the MAC website).

In my case, I sent an email in late 2001 (before MAMTI went into place) calling the MAC a fraud and accusing them of Greenwashing. It does not give me any feeling of satisfaction to now state that I was right about the MAC.

There is a need for reform of the aquarium trade collection practices, shipping practices, and to stop the use of cyande fishing etc. There is still a need to provide net-trainings and other programs to help improve shipping and holding practices etc. The East Asian Seas and Terrestrial Initiatives (EASTI) headed by Ferdinand Cruz is presently committed to doing trainings and other programs to benefit the collectors and local communities in the Philippines and Indonesia.

The trade itself is in serious financial crises brought on by low-balling prices to the collectors and fish farmers (eg, Florida). This is now even worse due to the financial downturn. The large wholesalers who through their efforts to maximize their own profits now face an industry that is collapsing due to the reduction in the number of hobbyists, the bankruptcy of many retail stores etc.

Sincerely,
Peter J. Rubec, Ph.D.,
Chief Scientist
East Asian Seas and Terrestrial Initiatives

[GreshamH]

Matt this only become available recently, that's why even though it's dated per the document, it's actually new news to most.

[jamesw]

Wow, I have been gone a while. When I got out of this hobby, MAC was just getting started. Now they're already gone.

I'll need to check out the report.

Cheers
James

[jamesw]

The report indicates that staff turnover at MAC (some w/ corresponding lawsuits????) was a problem. What happened?

Regards,
James

[GreshamH]

The report indicates that staff turnover at MAC (some w/ corresponding lawsuits????) was a problem. What happened?

Regards,
James

There's a few threads here on it. I really don't want to drag that junk up again though so I personally won't post it. Do a search for "Paul h + MAC + lawsuit"... that should bring it up.