John is the Vice President of the Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society (CMAS); the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) and United States Coral Reef Task Force representative for the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA) and the MASNA representative for MAC. John has lectured at two MACNA's and at many more CMAS meetings. In the past few years John has been greatly involved in aquarium industry reform issues and has an active relationship with the USCRTF and MAC. He has also attended and spoken at government meetings in Washington D.C., American Samoa and Puerto Rico. His recent travels to the Philippines allowed him to observe and evaluate MAC field operations firsthand.

Presentation

An offer came to me that presented an opportunity of a lifetime and a particular challenge. The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) invited me to travel to the Philippines to observe their program in the field. Accompanied by MAC Philippines staff, I would visit MAC Certified collecting areas, dive with the MAC Certified collectors and participate in the graduation ceremony of the second MAC Certified collection area and collectors. I would also tour the facilities of three MAC Certified exporters and have an exclusive meeting with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. My wonderful travels would take me to Manila, Cebu City and the areas around Tubigon, Bohol. Few aquarium hobbyists or members of the industry have this kind of remarkable experience. My challenge lay in applying a critical sense to my observations. I would look for problems and areas for improvement. The MAC Standards and Best Practices are understood to be an evolving process. As a member of the MAC board of directors, my personal observations would serve well as instruments of improvement.

The marine aquarium industry in the Philippines has been the center of extreme concern and controversy. For the past decades, the collecting methods used have been notoriously destructive. The MAC Certification system promises to fundamentally change the way that marine animals are taken from reefs and eventually end up in hobbyists' aquariums. I would travel to the Philippines to see if this change were real.

Mike King of the Coalition of Reef Lovers (CORL) accompanied me on the trip. His organization will begin a campaign of net training in the Philippines. Mike's visit would allow him opportunities to observe the MAC operations and create beneficial contacts for future projects.

Upon arriving in Manila, we were met by MAC Certification Systems Director Peter Scott and MAC Philippines Office Administrative Assistant Isabelle Cruz. The following morning we would meet Aquilino "Lino" Alvarez, the MAC Philippines Coordinator. The warmth and hospitality of the MAC Philippines staff was a welcomed contrast to the chaos and crush of Metropolitan Manila.

Our first stop on the itinerary was the MAC Certified export facility of HD Marine World, managed by Guia Dimayuga. The facilities of HD Marine World are typical of export companies within the Philippines. Great numbers of holding tanks are tiered above a concrete sump. The sump system is generally built into the foundation and floor of the building. Wet-dry biofiltration is used, and protein skimming is routine. Most systems have ultraviolet sterilization, and separate hospital tanks for medication are always provided. Although the tanks are quite crowded with fish, a constant inspection by Guia and her staff keep aggression and disease incidents in check. A separate system is used at HD Marine World for its MAC Certified animals. Here the aquariums are far less crowded and a detailed recordkeeping system is employed per the MAC Standards. Within moments any fish within the MAC Certified system could be traced to its collector and point of origin. During my visit a shipment of fish arrived from the MAC Certified collection area of Batasan Island, Bohol. Clearly the most numerous fish in the shipment were the copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) and the Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus). There were also many maroon clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus), cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus), banded pipefish (Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus) and banner wrasses (Hemigymnus melapterus). These represent some of the most commonly collected fish from the Batasan Island area. In addition to the proper acclimation care, the MAC Certified shipment received special attention to its documentation. The marked bags allowed easy segregation of fish according to their source. Guia personally oversees all of the operations of HD Marine World. Guia's reserved nature barely hides her great sense of pride in her company's MAC Certification accomplishment. I would find this to be true of all of the people associated with the MAC program.

By good fortune and diplomatic association of Lino Alvarez, we were able to meet with BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. During our meeting we were accompanied by Ms. Lolita Ty and her son Denis. Lolita is president of the Philippine Tropical Fish Exporters Association and the owner of the export facility Aquascapes Philippines. Our conversation with the director centered around MAC Certification of the second collection area and CORL's proposal for large-scale coral propagation in the Philippines.

Next stop was Lolita's company, Aquascapes Philippines. Here many hundreds of aquariums hold many thousands of fish and invertebrates awaiting export. Aquascapes Philippines is an exceptionally large export facility. I was amazed at how well maintained the tanks were and how healthy the livestock appeared. I even saw several species of fish that I had never seen before. According to Lolita, the place is almost entirely managed by her son Denis. He has applied his computer skills to put together a comprehensive accounting and tracking system.

Our final tour of an export facility would be Aquarium Habitat owned and managed by Marivi Laurel. Marivi has brought marine animal holding and export facilities to new heights. I was particularly inspired by the cleanliness and organization of Marivi's operation. She and the other MAC Certified exporters are well deserving of their MAC Certified status.

The second part of our itinerary would take us to Bohol where we would visit the MAC Certified collection areas and attend a MAC graduation ceremony. Joining us at Bohol would be Danish science journalist Uffe Wilken, who was writing several articles about MAC operations for the scientific community in Denmark.

From Manila we took a one-hour flight south to Cebu. At Cebu we picked up scuba tanks. We were joined by Lino's friend Freddie Reyes and then boarded a large banca (outrigger canoe) headed for Bohol. At sunset, we reached the pier at Tubigon. From here a tricycle taxi took us to Ligaya's Pension House. Surrounded by exotic fruit trees and towering tropical hardwoods, Ligaya's Pension House is what Americans would call a bed-and-breakfast. The next morning we would take a 30-minute banca ride out to the reefs of Batasan Island and observe the MAC Certified fishermen at work.

At about 4 am, the roosters of Bohol began crowing. If there is any question that cockfighting is the national pastime here, it is answered loudly at sunrise. I packed my diving gear into the banca, prepared for scuba or snorkeling. Monica Piquero, MAC Visayas Community Coordinator, joined us. Monica would serve as a translator and primary contact with the certified collectors of Batasan Island.

As we approached from sea, Batasan Island laid bare before our eyes. Just 75 feet wide and one mile long, the entire island could be taken in with a sideways glance. Mangroves surround Batasan, and at low tide the island wears a skirt of exposed sand about ¼-mile wide. The retreating tide exposes countless brittle starfish and Caulerpa algae, which the residents of Batasan gather for salad greens.

We bypassed the island for the nearby fishing grounds. The collectors were already at work when we approached. The MAC Certified collectors operate in loose groups on the reef. Several bancas were anchored near to each other. Each boat had one or two fishers operating from it. All of the men fishing that day were breath-hold diving for reef fish. Their equipment was minimal and mostly homemade. Some wore fins crafted from plywood sheet and secured to their feet with tacked on rubber strips. Some used masks; others had goggles carved from wood, cowrie shells or coconut shells, with a glass or plastic lens mounted to allow vision. Only a few of the men had snorkels. Most simply lifted their entire head above the surface to breathe. Unable to afford wetsuits to stay warm, the common collecting attire was a sweatshirt and pants.

Careful not to crowd the collectors, we anchored nearby. Peering into the water, I could see large coral formations. The depth here was no more than 20 feet. I equipped myself for snorkeling and rolled off the side of the banca into the sea. I quickly noticed the water here is quite turbid. The coastline of Bohol is within sight, and the runoff from the steep hills keeps the surrounding waters in a nutrient-rich state. I slowly paddled over to a nearby banca. I watched in amazement as a collector came into view. After several rapid exhalations, the fisher filled his lungs and dove. Kicking his plywood fins in tandem, he did a frog kick down to the reef below. Within seconds he was tracking a fish. A copperband butterflyfish darted beneath a small coral head. The fisher unrolled his barrier net, partially surrounding the coral head. He reached beneath the coral head with a free hand and coaxed the fish from beneath and into the invisible barrier net. In the not too distant past, that same hand could have held a bottle full of cyanide solution. This diver is now trained to collect fish strictly using nets. The MAC Standards forbid the use of sodium cyanide or any chemical in the collection of reef fish.

A hand net was used to scoop the butterflyfish held in mid flight in the barrier net. The diver placed the fish into a perforated plastic jar. This jar along with many others was then placed into a large nylon mesh bag tethered to the banca.

The divers had been working since early morning. After several hours of fishing, each diver had assembled a variety of species. Butterflyfish, clownfish, pipefish, Mandarinfish and wrasses were the primary catch. These fish are found in ready abundance in the surrounding waters.

The divers finished their collecting by noon and began heading towards the main holding pen, which they call "Wall Street". Here they met with Epifanio Saavedra, Collectors Coordinator for the MAC Certified Batasan Tropical Fish Collectors Association. The holding pen is a floating platform constructed from bamboo. It is anchored about one half mile offshore in 8 feet of water. The platform serves as an inspection and holding area for the collected fish. Each diver brings his catch to be inspected by "Epi," who calls out the species and size to his assistant. The assistant makes the entries on a clipboard. A diver's entire daily take is closely inspected. Torn fins or other injuries usually cause a fish to be rejected and returned to the reef. Fish that are considered too large are also rejected. The fish that pass the inspection are placed still within their plastic jars inside of a large mesh bag. A different mesh bag is designated for each diver and can hold about 20 jars. The mesh bags are then suspended in the netted confines of the floating platform. Here the fish will remain, seawater continually flowing through the perforated containers, until they are packed for shipment to Manila.

After turning over these catches at the holding pen, the collectors headed back to Batasan Island. Within a few hours, the receipts reached the main office and the men were paid cash for the day's work.

After spending several days with the MAC Certified collectors, it was apparent to me that they had made a complete transition to non-destructive fishing methods. I received numerous invitations to extend my visit or to return at any time. MAC Certified fishermen of Batasan Island have nothing to hide.

My visit would not have been complete without a dive in the marine protected area (MPA). An important component of the management plan of the Batasan collection area is a recognized MPA. The designated reef area adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, the collecting area provides a refuge for reef animals. No collecting is allowed in the MPA either for food or for the aquarium trade. Within the MPA the animals are undisturbed. Their reproduction and dispersal replenishes the surrounding waters, including the collecting areas. We carefully maneuvered the banca into the MPA, choosing a sandy area between the coral heads to drop the anchor.

Upon entering the water, I immediately noticed that the fish were more numerous here. Large butterflyfish were even more common here, and I saw many pairs of large sweetlips, which are eaten and sold, in the markets. The fish were significantly less timid in the MPA. The lack of disturbances like fishing causes fish to lose some of their fear.

My final full day in Bohol was also the occasion of the graduation ceremony of the second certified collectors and collection area. The ceremony was quite an exciting and powerful event. The newly certified collectors and their designated collection area reside in the nearby coastal village of Tangaran near the municipality of Clarin, Bohol. The fishermen were addressed by the governor of Bohol, the mayor of Clarin, the chief of police, the local fisheries representative, various government officials, MAC staff members, Mike King and myself. We all watched as the fishermen solemnly took the pledge of compliance to the MAC Standards and Best Practices. The maritime police explained the laws. Complying with the MAC Standards would mean that legal and responsible fishing practices would be upheld.

Throughout the ceremony, special awards were given, including "Best in Record Keeping," "Highest Total of Catch per Records" and "Best in Handling and Packing Techniques." Each newly certified collector received a certificate, a certification card and a new pair of goggles. We all noticed the looks of appreciation and honor on the faces of the fishermen. Several times during the ceremony, young girls performed orchestrated dance numbers. Some of these girls were the daughters of the net fishermen.

By creating a public graduation ceremony, MAC congratulated the men for their certification status. But equally important was the social phenomenon that occurs with such an event. By virtue of human nature, a peer pressure is established and maintained throughout the community. Everyone now knows the wrong ways to catch fish. Everyone now knows these fishermen will catch fish the correct way. A higher ground has been established, and the air is charged with energy.

It was a privilege for me to be a part of this graduation ceremony. I consider these men to be heroes and was quick to tell them this. I personally congratulated each of them, and shook their hands. It was difficult to control my emotions, as I quickly switched hands for a man who had lost his right arm to blast fishing. An enormous smile on his face contrasted sharply with his scarred body, a victim of destructive fishing.

We are fragile creatures. All of us act out our lives in ways that we feel are right, but there are always better ways to live, better ways to treat the world. The spirit of the Philippine people will be the ultimate vehicle for reform toward fisheries that sustain the environment as well as their livelihoods.

The MAC Certified operation that I observed in the Philippines represents a functional model for a high quality chain of custody program for the marine aquarium industry. Reef organisms are collected by the most gentle and responsible methods. They are held and transported using proven techniques that result in the low mortality and quality product that is a standard for MAC Certification.

I strongly urge anyone who wishes to see the MAC Certified collectors engaging in a non-destructive, sustainable livelihood to inquire about touring arrangements with MAC. You will enjoy the beauty of the islands and reefs and never forget the hospitality of the Philippine people. It is exciting to know that environmentally concerned aquarium hobbyists have friends in the Philippines.

Photos of MAC Certification in the Philippines:
http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/j_brandt_20030330/j_brandt_20030330_pics.html

For more information please visit the following:

The Marine Aquarium Council http://www.aquariumcouncil.org .
The Marine Aquarium Societies of North America http://www.masna.org .
Coalition of Reef Lovers http://www.corl.org .
Uffe Wilken's Scienceline (Danish text) http://www.scienceline.info .

Questions and Answers

Is cyanide testing in progress now and who is doing it?

Cyanide testing in the Philippines is done by BFAR. Testing is not done routinely by them as far as I know. Tests may be performed on food fish or aquarium fish.

For clarification, please state what BFAR stands for.

It was mentioned in the report. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. It's a Philippine government agency.

Why does BFAR not have an enforcement arm?

As it was explained to me, enforcement of almost any kind is scarce in the Philippines. Now that is not a specific answer to the question, the whole program needs to be ramped up. Testing is not done regularly, and enforcement comes directly from this. The maritime police are overwhelmed with the amount of blast fishing. If anything, all of their resources would go to that method of destructive fishing.

I am concerned that fisherman are catching cleaner wrasse. Do they know that it is not cool to buy or sell cleaner wrasses? If so why are they still catching them and why is MAC certifying this?

You have touched on the issue of "unsuitable species". The fishermen do not know what is, or isn't "aquarium suitable". They collect fishes that are allowable according to the CAMP (Coastal Area Management Plan). There are certain quotas and size restrictions and not all possible species are yet "covered" in the CAMP. The MAC has not yet addressed the issue of unsuitable species, but it remains an important issue with them. This will come, and it is possible that fish like cleaner wrasses will be restricted.

How exactly does mac determine which fisherman caught a particular fish, and the methods that fisherman used to capture that particular specimen?

The fishers arrive at "Wall Street" with their catches. Epi accounts for the catch of each diver, one at a time. It is verbally called out to his assistant who writes the species, size and number. This is all segregated by fisher. The fish always remain segregated by fisher at Batasan. The batches of fish remain marked with id numbers throughout the chain of custody all the way to retail. The MAC certified fishers only use nets to catch their fish and cyanide or things like crowbars are not used.

Can you assert that what you observed re: the collection is typical of what normally occurs when no outside observers are present to mmonitor the collections?

Thank you for asking. Visitors are constantly coming to Batasan and Tangaran and journalists from all over the world visit, as MAC is known throughout the aquarium and conservation industry. MAC staff members visit the areas very regularly. When one looks at the logbook of catches by fisher you begin to see a consistency over time. If the fishers alternated between net and cyanide based on possible observers their catch would vary accordingly. It doesn't. What is revealed though (with the log) is that some fishers are more skilled than others :) I could see this in the field. Additionally these men are so skilled at net fishing, it would make little sense for them to risk EVERYTHING by picking up a squirt bottle. They wanted me to stay longer (and they were learning a lot about the fish from me). This would suggest that they weren't "anxiously waiting to get back to cyanide fishing". Offers of coming back are never prefaced with "let us know you are coming". They risk jail time if caught with cyanide and the whole Batasan Island collectors association could go down in flames if they began using cyanide again. Note that many (most?) of these men WERE cyanide fishers. I am fully convinced that the MAC certified fishermen do not collect with any chemicals, but besides my first hand observations the MAC builds in safeguards.

Obviously MAC inspections are not surprises to the collectors/wholesalers. What are the chances the divers are using cyanide and allowing injured/diseased animals into the trade when mac employees aren't around?

The chances are essentially zero. No exporter wants to buy injured or messed up fish, so they will flat out reject them. So Epi doesn't even "buy" fish from the fishers at "Wall Street" if they are damaged. Additionally, it's probably safe to assume that fish caught with cyanide are going to have a significantly higher mortality. The MAC maintains a mortality limit, that can catch irregularities in capture method, holding methods, etc. Nobody wants fish dying in their tanks that they have paid cash for and it isn't just MAC staff that would "police" this issue. Epi, who lives on the island, stands to lose $$ if mortality escalates. The exporters don't want their MAC certified fish to exceed the limit of mortality, otherwise, they become de-certified. There is an across-the-board self-enforcement and powerful island peer pressure that is really impressive to see.

Do you think MAC is the only functional model for the aquarium industry?

Well right now it's the only certifying body in the industry. There could be others that would form I suppose, but the MAC represents a good system I feel. It needs tinkering and the staff and board of directors are quick to agree to that. MAC greatly underestimated the amount of time, money, and peoplepower that would be needed to accomplish all of their ideas. Keeping them from using cyanide probably turns out to be the easy part. Creating the "infrastructure" of island offices, papperwork necessary for the collectors, exportrs etc. making sure everything is working smoothly for them. MAC staff practically "babysits" the program in its early stages. We (the BOD) are working on ways to streamline and make the best use of our resources. It's really unfortunate that the aquarium industry and hobbyists don't help more with the MAC effort.

How has joining the MAC made the lives of the Batasan Island collectors better exactly? Are they getting more money for their fish than before? Does that money cover the time they then use to fill out their logbooks? Are the MAC certified divers paid considerably more than other divers?

The MAC program has "organised" their fishing in certain ways. The structure afforded by the CAMP gives a clear idea of what to collect. The MAC standards manuals that are on display in the little office there always can provide a reference. There are graphic instructions on building nets, constructing fins, etc. fishers themselves do little or no "paperwork". Their catches are logged by Epi at "Wall Street" and if notations are necessary by the fisher, they will get help writing if they happen to be illiterate. MAC certified collectors need (or should) be paid a premium for their catches. When they are paid more it is not significant enough at this point. The MAC needs to address this issue, but some things need to fall in place. There needs to be more certification of retailers and more demand generated for MAC certified fish. These things are in the works. A good number of American (and Intl) wholesalers and retailers will be certifed fairly soon. We hope to see some major "players" in the industry become certified this year. Along with the certification of a number of other areas in the Philippines will ramp up both the supply (we're looking for variety of fish) and the demand. The MAC certified fishermen should stand out from the "crowd" of fishermen in income.

If a collection area gets certified, but is not sustainable, does it somehow get de-certified? What are the standards that would apply in this case? Can you explain to us how an organization that dedicates itself to 'sustainability' could certify an area without doing resource assessments on the area?

If an area that was regarded as sustainable becomes unsustainable, that would raise an issue about modifying or stopping certain fishing. Resource assessments have been done at Batasan and Tangaran. The animals that are targeted for collection tend to be the more numerous ones. The more common ones that they catch are there in great quantity, but there is another complexity areas that get regarded (formally or informally) as unsustainable often have very sustainable fisheries within them. I had heard about the "unsustainability" of these certified areas, but these men are catching fish there that are completely sustainable in their populations, relative to collecting pressure. If there is any "problem" with the reefs in that vicinity, it is from the rivers of Bohol continually discharging sediment into the surrounding water not from the actions of the fishers, but besides that, you would be amazed at the corals (soft and hard), the tridacnas, the array of filter feeders that are thriving there, but there may be some technical aspects to the question that would best be addressed by MAC staff. I will make sure that any questions that anyone wishes to pose directly to MAC get answered. I think there will be an open forum related to this talk for a few weeks at reefs.org.

Am I correct in reading your visits to the exporters that a MAC certified exporter is also allowed to ship non-MAC fish? What was the percentage of MAC verus non-MAC fish in the exporters facilities you visited?

Yes, MAC certified exporters are not forced to carry only MAC certified fish. The present supply and variety of fish wouldn't support that even if the MAC demanded it. My estimation of percentage of MAC versus non MAC fish would be about 2-5 percent MAC certified.

When does MAC plan to begin dealing with other issues on the agenda, such as the aforementioned unsuitable species? Also, what is the long-term plan for dealing with non-MAC certified collectors? Does MAC aggressively market itself to them at this time?

The issue of unsuitable species frquently comes up in meetings. I am one of the most outspoken, because I have MUCH experience in that field "dealing" with it first will start with the formation of a committee that will likely involve many parties. Much work has already been done in that area on this forum. I can envision a simultaneous addressing of problems when the suppy/demand aspect picks up steam. Again the problem that MAC is facing is that this is very labor intensive evaluating, training, and certifying villages requires a staggering amount of human capacity and it doesn't help that the islands are scattered over many hundreds of miles. A large number of villages are asking to be certified. MAC is looking for additional funding to increase their ability to address this. A well functioning net-training program is needed to be in place. Proposals to this effect are being discussed with MAC, CORL, and AMDA. Look for some interesting ways that hobbyists can help the effort in the near future. You may see announcements relating to this here or on the MAC website.

How exactly can the hobbyist help more with the MAC effort?

A number of ways. First, familiarize yourself with the MAC program by looking closely at the information on their website. Talk to your retailers about their intentions of being/not being certified . Spreading the word throughout the hobby will greatly increase awareness of the MAC program. Aquarium societies can request a "media pack" from MAC with brochures, slides or Power Point presentations about the MAC. This can be the basis of a club meeting if desired. An individual, organization, or society could donate directly to MAC. There is the possibility to "sponsor" an entire village. All of the necessary funds to bring about a certification of a village could be covered by a donor(s) a kind of "adopt a village" program. The ways are not necessarily limited to the above.