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MARY MIDDLEBROOK
HOW ANIMALS GET FROM THE WILD REEF TO YOUR REEF
Speaker's Biography: Mary Middlebrook owns and operates Marine Specialties International (www.reefsource.com) , a marine ornamental livestock import/wholesale company in Los Angeles, California. She has a BS degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University, and has been in this industry for over 12 years, both retail and wholesale.
She have always been active in industry reform issues, and much more so in the past two years since owning MSI (www.reefsource.com) She seeks to inform both industry professionals and hobbyists about the various issues facing the industry through her web site. Her motto is "Education is the key to an ethical and sustainable industry," and she believes that whole-heartedly. "I don't only believe in achieving the goal of an ethical and sustainable industry, I practice that philosophy daily in my business. "
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Marine life Dealers Association (AMDA), the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC), and the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA). She also serves as the public relations coordinator for the Marine Aquarium Society of Los Angeles County and acts as a public speaker for the Marine Aquarium Council.
Fish and corals often go through a whirlwind of containers, bags, boxes, and tanks before coming to rest in an aquarium. It's truly amazing that a green chromis from the Philippines reaches a hobbyist in Philadelphia in one piece, much less alive. This complex chain of custody consists of divers, middlemen, exporters, international airlines, wholesalers, transshippers, domestic airlines, and retailers. All are important factors in the handling and care of a marine aquarium animal, and if proper care is not taken in any one step then the animal won't make it through to the hobbyist. The Marine Aquarium Council is in the process of ensuring the highest standards of care by certifying collectors, wholesalers, and retailers. MAC also will be organizing ways in which the animals themselves will be certified. Certification signifies an ethical, sustainable industry and a healthier animal.
CHAIN OF CUSTODY: Chain of Custody is the term used to describe the various people/companies that reef animals go through prior to reaching the hobbyist. The chain is quite variable and there is no easy answer to "How do animals get from the reef to the hobbyist’s tank?". For the sake of time, I’ll list a couple of the most common routes.
COLLECTORS: Collectors are first step in the chain. They usually consist of native divers that are either independent or work for export companies in the country of origin. Independent divers are normally found in the Philippines and Indonesia, where they sell their product to middlemen. Both of these countries have extrememly large collection areas spread over hundreds of miles. Middlemen consolidate the diver’s catches from many of the regions and then sell the animals to the exporter. In smaller source countries, such as Fiji and the Solomon Islands, the divers usually work directly with the export company.
EXPORTERS: Exporters are companies in the country of origin that prepare the animals for shipment to the country of import. In the country of origin, they are the most important factor in insuring the health of the fish. They can implement policies such as demanding net caught fish, insuring that their facilities are properly set up to maintain optimum health of the animals, and following proper shipping methods. More than half of the global marine aquarium trade is supplied by Indonesia and the Phillippines (no exports of coral). Other major source countries include Fiji, Solomon Islands, Australia (no exports of coral), Hawaii (no exports of coral), Marshall Islands, and the Carribbean/Florida (no exports of corals).
IMPORTERS: There are basically two categories of importers- Wholesalers and Transshippers. In rare circumstances, retailers are able to directly import from the country of origin. However, there are only a few cities in the United States that are designated as ports of entry for marine ornamentals and most retailers cannot accomodate the large volumes that are necessary to purchase when importing from overseas. The United States imports over half of the marine aquarium organisms in the trade, and 80% of coral. Other major import countries include Gremany, France, Netherlands, England, and Japan.
WHOLESALERS: Wholesalers are importers who tank the animals in their facilities prior to shipping them out again. This is beneficial to the animals, because they get a much needed "rest stop" after their long journey. This is beneficial for retailers because they can obtain animals from many different countries all in one shipment.
TRANSSHIPPERS: Transshippers import the animals from overseas, in some cases give them a quick water change in the bags, and then ship them out to the retailers immediately. Because the animals are not being tanked in a facility, there is less overhead involved, therefore transshippers can offer the animals at a reduced price to retailers. Unfortunately, due to long hours in the bags and the fact that many retailers are not equipped with the knowledge to properly handle transshipped animals, mortalities can be quite high.
RETAILERS: This is the portion of the chain that you, the hobbyist, are most familiar with. Retailers purchase animals, tank them at their stores, and offer them for sale to the general public. Retail stores are where the vast majority of hobbyists are introduced to the marine aquarium hobby- and it is here that hobbyists can use their power as the end consumer to create changes that will reverbirate throughout the entire chain.
Now that we have a good idea of how the animals are getting from the reefs to the retail shop, let’s look at the actual industry a bit closer and discuss the benefits of the trade, problems within the trade, and solutions to these problems.
BENEFITS IN EXPORT COUNTRIES: The major benefit the trade has on the country of origin is economic. It provides jobs in rural coastal areas that have limited resources and economic options. It is important to remember that the majority of source countries are considered to be third world- the people involved in the industry (especially at the collector level) are trying to feed their families. Because ethical/sustainable collection and proper reef management takes a back seat to food, it is important that economic incentives are used to implement proper techniques. We’ll discuss this more in detail later.
BENEFITS IN IMPORT COUNTRIES: The primary benefit in the import country is educational. Most people are not able to observe the coral reefs of the world in their natural environments. So in order for people to understand these complicated and beautiful ecosystems it is important that they have some kind of a "personal" relationship with them. This relationship can be fostered through either public or private aquaria. People are much more willing to protect something they feel connected to. Therefore, by personalizing the reefs we can instill a sense of protection.
PROBLEMS WITHIN THE TRADE: By far the most notorious problem in the trade is that of improper collection methods. I’m sure that many of you are aware that cyanide is used in countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia to collect fish. The biggest question is "Why?". Well, the answer to that is something that I mentioned earlier. Remember, the main benefit of the trade to source countries is economic. Cyanide allows the collectors to catch more fish. More fish = more $$$. So how do we stop this practice? Simple. Make net caught fish more economically valuable. The International Marinelife Alliance (IMA www.imamarinelife.org) currently has training programs in place to teach collectors proper techniques. They have been working very hard in the Philippines to eliminate cyanide use and have been able to make very good headway. Unfortunately, as cyanide use is on the decline in the Philippines it is on the rise in Indonesia. The IMA is working there also to implement change. However, it all boils down to economic incentive. If YOU, the hobbyist, are not willing to pay more for a net caught fish then there is no reason for exporters to demand them from the collectors.
Other problems within the industry include poor handling, shipping, and maintenance of the animals along all steps along the chain. Unfortunately it is very difficult to determine the exact impact of improper animal husbandry because of the lack of verifiable statistics within the aquarium trade. In the past, there have been no standards dictating proper husbandry, so animals have been subjected to a wide range of conditions. And that brings us to our next topic....
THE MARINE AQUARIUM COUNCIL- www.aquariumcouncil.org
In an effort to help standardize the industry and insure that all of the animals we are so fortunate to work with are treated with the care and respect they deserve, the Marine Aquarium Council was created in 1998. MAC consists of over 2,600 individuals in 60 different countries representing both conservation and industry issues. MAC is working to improve the industry and the health of the world’s coral reefs by developing standards for sustainable practices within the trade, establishing a system for certification and labelling of compliance with these standards, and by creating consumer demand for and confidence in the marine aquarium trade. As you can imagine, this is no small task! In order to provide the hobbyist with an animal that is certified to have been collected and handled properly, it is necessary to certify every link along the chain of custody. The final draft of the standards has been completed and is available for viewing at www.aquariumcouncil.org. Feasibility studies will be launched later this year in the Philippines, Fiji, and Hawaii and will test certification throughout the chain of custody, from collection areas to retailer operations in the United States and Europe. After the initial tests, MAC will be able to see how the standards work in "the real world", and will then make any adjustments needed prior to announcing that the process of certification is available to everyone. Following is a brief synopis of what the standards comprise:
The Ecosystem and Fishery Management Core Standard requires a geographically defined collection area, implementation of a management plan to ensure sustainable use, and a process for monitoring the collection area.
The Collection, Fishing, and Holding Core Standard requires a ban on cyanide and other dstructive methods. This can be accomplished by teaching net collection methods and utilizing cyanide detection tests. The divers will be trained to only collect animals that have been ordered, preventing the collection of unmarketable or unsuitable species. Training will also involve teaching proper fish decompression methods and species segregation. Testing will also be conducted to ensure correct water quality and temperature.
The Handling, Husbandry, and Transport Core standard requires proper facilities that are designed to provide optimum health of the animal with regards to water quality, etc... All animals must be properly acclimated, suitably packaged for transport, and follow guidelines for shipping times. Mortality rates must be kept under the maximum allowable.
Of course, the standards are much more detailed than what I’ve listed here and will be fleshed out even more after the test studies are completed. I urge you to visit www.aquariumcouncil.org to review them for yourself.
So once the standards are developed, how can MAC insure that they are being carried out? Each company that wishes to become MAC certified will contract with a private certification company. That company will come in and inspect the businesses on an annual basis to determine if the proper conditions are being met with regard to facilities and paperwork. By no means is this an easy task, but it is something that other industries, such as logging, are utilizing. The bottom line is that if the industry doesn’t take the steps to show the government that it is conducting business in a proper and sustainable manner, then the govenment is going to do it for us. Just because the job of certification is time consuming, difficult, and tedious does not mean that it should not be attempted or that it can not work. To make this happen, two things are required: Support from the industry and demand from the hobbyists.
MAC has been receiving support from companies involved in all portions of the chain. The industry realizes that MAC certification is going to happen, and they recognize the marketability of certified animals and the competitive edge of being first in line to obtain certification.
THE ROLE OF THE HOBBYIST: Ok. Everything I’ve talked about so far sounds fine and dandy, but where do you fit in? You are the most important figure in the chain of custody! The hobbyist is the person for whom the whole industry exists to serve. Without the hobbyist, there is no industry. I understand that hobbyists feel a little "disenfranchised" and think that they alone can not possibly make a difference. Some of you may remember the Caulerpa battle we fought several months ago. If it was only me calling, faxing, and e-mailing the legislature nothing would have been changed. However, hundreds of hobbyists got involved, demanded change, and instituted that change! Amazing! The same scenario can be applied to MAC certification...if 3 hobbyists in the whole country demand MAC certified animals, MAC will crash and burn. But if the hobbyists decide that they want to support MAC certification then they need to consistently ask their retailers "Are you MAC certified?" "Are your animals MAC certified?". If the answer is no, ask them when they plan to join the MAC program. ASK THIS EVERYTIME YOU WALK IN!!! Don’t get discouraged after the first time and give up. The more you demand the product, the more the industry will work toward getting it for you. And when your retailer finally gets those MAC certified animals, support that retailer! A tried and true cliche is "You get what you pay for". It is impossible to properly care for the reefs and animals without increasing overhead slightly. If you see a non-MAC certified green chromis at retailer A for $5 and retailer B has a MAC certified green chromis for $6, support the certified retailer! In the long run you will be saving money because you are purchasing a healthier and hardier animal- one that has been treated properly all of the way from the reef to your reef.
The industry and hobby have the potential to be 100% sustainable, and even beneficial to the reefs, if collection and husbandry are carried out properly. The tools to do things the right way are available- all that is needed is the motivation to change. You are that motivation. Your purchasing decisions will ultimately decide the fate of the industry/hobby. If proper reef management and healthier animals are of interest to you, I urge you to support MAC in its efforts. My motto is "Education is the key to an ethical and sustainable industry". I am always available to answer any questions you may have, so don’t hesitate to contact me at reef_education@hotmail.com If you belong to an aquarium club that may be interested in having me come speak about these issues, please have them contact me.
Earlier you said that Florida and the Caribbean don't export corals... Don't they sell gorgonians collected there?
yes, they do sell gorgonians, but not your typical hard corals/soft corals/etc..
Are there any US companies that Aquaculture corals on the Florida coastline ?
live rock is currently aquacultured in the Gulf of Mexico, but no corals to my knowledge. There are a couple of land based coral farms. One reason is that you would never aquaculture our more tropical corals that are non-native to Florida in Florida's waters. That could create a whole invasive species problem.
How much (equivalent US$) does a fish collector make a month? A year?
I do not have the data in front of me to be able to answer that question properly. I'll research it and get the answer next week. I'm sure it varies between countries.
What effects are imposed upon the livestock in terms of lighting accumlation?
well, some facilities are set up with halides, etc... and some simply aren't. one thing to keep in mind is that most corals only stay in the facilities 2 days at the maximum, so lighting concerns are minimal. For fish, the proper way to handle them after they've been in dark boxes is to open the boxes and acclimate in dimmed rooms.
What are mortality rates for fish, inverts and corals from collector to LFS?
As stated earlier in my talk, there aren't any hard statistics on mortality levels. This is something that MAC will monitor closely and gather information on.
What guarantee is it that the animals are really net caught?
Right now, none. There are certain countries such as Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Australia where we can be 99% sure that the fish are net caught. MAC will be looking very closely at collection methods, and collectors will have to adhere to and prove that they are using sustainable, non destructive methods.
Is a reliable cyanide test in place, and how accurate is it?
The IMA has a cyanide detection test that is used by the Philippine government to do random testing of export facilities. The test was created by an indepent lab, is EPA approved, and considered to be the best alternative at this time.
Where are the main locations that anemones are harvested from and what condtions do they travel under?
Anemones are collected from practically every region of the world that participates in the marine aquarium trade. Popular regions are Indonesia, Fiji, Sri Lanka, and the Solomon Islands .Shipping conditions vary between suppliers. Some pack them dry, some pack them with water. I prefer my suppliers ship them dry.
How long does the average imported coral remain in a bag at 1 time?
The longest bag time would be from countries such as Indonesia- by the time it is packed, taken to the airport, flown to the US, cleared through customs, and put in the wholesalers tank is about 35-40 hours. Countries such as Fiji have direct flights to Los Angeles, and the time in bags is around 18 hours. If a retailer transships in a coral, that animal could be in the bag for 50 hours.
what exactly is "dry shipping"?
The anemones are shipped with no water in the bag. Just the anemone and air.
Why do you prefer dry shipping?
Because the anemones live much better. :) They tend to foul the water fairly quickly, so by shipping them dry you avoid that problem.
so you and I as intelligent aquarists know that certain species such as some butterflyfish, nudibranchs, etc do extremely poorly in the aquarium. Yet I always see them for sale. Why are they sold? Why are they collected? Given that the average consumer will buy things because they are pretty and with little education, who is ultimately responsible for the cessation of collection of such animals?
MAC will be looking at certain unsuitable species. I feel that this list should be short- consisting of animals that get too large for the average aquarists (sharks, groupers, snappers are good examples) and animals that are obligate feeders on foods the average hobbyist can not provide (certain butterflies, nudibranchs, orange spot filefish, etc...) I also feel that deadly animals, such as the blue ring octopus, should not be available in the hobby. As to why they are sold and collected...it's because there is a demand for them. Many of the butterflies, nudibranchs, etc... are beautiful animals that do well for the 4-10 days they need to live to make it to the hobbyists. Also keep in mind that many collectors, exporters, wholesalers, even retailers have little knowledge about the long term care and survivability of the animals they deal in.
Is there someplace or someone that we can tell that we would pay more for net caught fish? If so, it needs to be posted where everyone can find it. I would pay more for net caught!
Yes! Bug your LFS to death! Let them know about MAC- many aren't aware of it. Tell them that you want certified fish. If you tell them "I'll pay more for net caught fish" then they'll just mark up every fish in the store and tell you it's net caught. ;) Demand MAC certified, and let them know you'll pay more for that certification. That's the only way to insure properly collected and handled fish.
How can the hobbyists' wants and demands be heard, say by collectors in the Phillipines?
Again, by demanding MAC certified fish. MAC is setting up the guidelines that we all know are the "right way" to do things. If you demand MAC fish from your retailer, he'll demand MAC fish from his wholesaler, who will demand MAC fish from the exporter.
I can just imagine the Store Owner's response when I ask him if he's MAC certified. What do I tell him when he/she says "What????? Why would I want to do that?"
Simple. Say "I am only willing to pay for MAC certified fish. I want to know for a fact that the animals I am buying for my tank are collected and handled properly. If your LFS is doing things the right way already, then MAC certification will not be a difficult program to acheive. If they aren't doing things right, well... you shouldn't be buying from them anyway ;) Also let them know that it will give them a competitive edge over their competition. Let them know that you would rather by MAC animals from them than non certified animals from the shop down the street.
How as a reef owner can we check the quality of critters collected in places like FFE and Pet Warehouse and other online stores?
Simply put, you can't. All mail order places make claims like "We only carry net caught fish", etc... Want to know how to tell if that's the truth? If they say they only carry net caught animals and then have a stocklist of every fish known to mankind, they are LYING. The largest variety of fish comes out of the Philippines and Indonesia. There is currently one station in the Philippines striving to export only net caught fish. My Indonesian coral supplier told me flat out that he can't guarantee fish coming out of his facility are cyanide free because most of the divers don't work for him. If the exporter can't guarantee it, believe me, neither can the importer. Your best bet when dealing with MO companies is to search the discussion boards and read about other people's experiences.
How long do you suppose it will be until we should be expecting MAC certifications to appear in our LFS's?
Well, the initial testing period will begin late this year. It will run for a couple of months to get all of the bugs worked out, the standards will then be finalized, and MAC certification will go mainstream. Expect certification to be widely available late winter-early spring next year. Keep your eye on www.aquariumcouncil.org and www.reefsource.com for all new developments.
I can ask for MAC certified animals at the LFSes I go to until I am blue in the face, but to the retailer I am just an annoying customer (who does not know as much as they do). How do we force MAC compliance other than through product demand?
That's a tough question. The way you can force compliance is by sending a message via your pocketbook. Spread the word about MAC to hobbyists via the internet, local aquarium clubs, heck even talk to them in the LFS!
It seems to me that if people don't know about MAC, then it does the retailer no good. Everyone here knows about it, but what about the other 1 million hobbyists? How does MAC intend to get the word out on a massive scale? Or do they?
MAC is gearing up for a major public relations campaign. This will include posters at all public aquariums, large ads in major hobbyist magazines, and working with the various internet hobbyists sites. That obviously will not reach every hobbyist, but it will reach thousands. Word of mouth is another great way for hobbyists to help MAC- spread the word to everyone you know!
Has frag farming and trading between hobbyists stolen any thunder from the wild import industry?
In my opinion, no. The demand for marine ornamentals, especially coral, is on the rise. That, coupled with the fact that frag farming is only conducted by a very small minority of hobbyists means that the import industry is alive and well.
Will MAC help faciltate captive bred programs?
MAC does have plans to launch Aquaculture standards within a couple of years. These standards will focus on large scale overseas and domestic operations- not home based farms. MAC is not in the business to facilitate captive bred programs per say- they are in the business of creating best practice standards for all aspects of the industry including aquaculture.
Do you forsee any advances in raising saltwater fish from planktonic fry which would make ocean caught fish less necessary at some future time?
The Solomons Islands are currently working on this technology. They are able to provide larval reared fish in limited quantities, including blue tangs, lawnmower blennies, spotted watchman gobies, and dragon gobies. I think this is an excellent solution to many problems. It would curtail the collection of wild fish, and if rearing is done in the country of origin it can still provide income for the natives. The main obstacle is feeding the larval fish. But research is being continously conducted to help figure out what each species needs to eat at each stage of development. This information will be invaluable once captive breeding of these fish is figured out, because as many of you know it's easy to make certain fish reproduce, but much harder to rear the fry.
It seems that most LFSes are the "weak link". Most that I've seen could care less if 1 or even 10 customers are asking for MAC certified fish. As long as there are idiots willing to buy pretty nudibranchs, the LFS will sell them. I am not sure that the small percentage of educated demand will help... what responsibility do the importers have to not carry these critters?
Again, with MAC certification in place animals that have been deemed to be unsuitable will not be allowed to be collected by MAC certified collectors, or purchased by MAC certified exporters or importers. Honestly, until this certification is in place people are going to make a buck off of whatever they can.
How and where is Live Rock collected?
The majority of live rock currently comes out of Fiji, with countries such as Marshall Islands, Indonesia, and Vanuatu coming in a distant second. the "how" varies from region to region I'm sure. I can only speak about what i have experience with. I have gone to fiji and seen how my collectors collect rock. It comes from water that is anywhere from 4'-6' deep. they snorkel down, pick up the piece, and put it in the boat. you can see pictures of this at I am going to be receiving a paper in a few weeks that details a study done in Fiji showing that live rock is a renewable resource. the rock my guys were collecting was broken off from the main reef during storms and washed to the area behind the reef (an area miles long/wide). rock as far as the eye could see. it was mind boggling!
How are stony corals collected off the reef?
Again, I can only speak to my experience. In fiji, I only witnessed corals that were collected in the area behind the reef. favites, turbinaria, acropora, and porites were the most common species in this area. The guys would snorkel down, break off a piece from a main colony, and bring it up. bill2 is in fiji right now working with my divers, so i'll have more information soon about how the corals are being collected from the barrier reef. i have heard that crowbars are used to pry coral off the reef in some locations, and i don't doubt it for a second. and just for general understanding, dynamite is NEVER used in ornamental coral collection. that is strictly a food fish industry thing.
What are the rules on collecting corals in US waters?
That's an easy one- DON'T DO IT! no corals are allowed to be collected in US waters. live rock either. when collecting gorgonians, sponges, etc... florida collectors are only allowed to chip off a base of 1" in diameter.
ny idea how tangs are caught? What kind of techniques do people use?
there's no single answer to that question. it depends on the species and the region. some may be collected using drugs, some may be collected using nets. my guys in fiji speared one for dinner while they were collecting rock, but i'll guess that spearing isn't their normal method of collection. ;)
From what area is the majority of live sand derived from and at what depth?
Once again, i'll draw on my experience in fiji. The area where they collect live sand is in that area behind the reef that i was talking about earlier. The patch they showed me was about 3' deep at high tide. they collect their because of the color of the sand (nice and white). My indonesian supplier says that he can't supply me with sand because there is no CITES category for it in Indonesia- i'm not sure of the validity of that statement. The only areas i'm familiar with that are collecting live sand are florida and fiji.
What other organisms (besides anemones) do you prefer to have dry-shipped, if any?
well, i like my zooanthids (button polyps) and star polyps to be "damp" shipped. wrapped in wet newspaper and put in the bag with no additional water. there's nothing else that i "dry" ship other than anemones. certain snails can be "damp" shipped- put in a bag with air and moist paper towels.
Doesn't dry shipping place a shock onto the invertebrate?
nope. they do much better that way vs. the conventional animal/water/air scenario.
Are there any corals (or fish for that matter) that you are not allowed to collect in Fiji?
none that i'm aware of. there are certain animals that i personally will not allow my divers to collect, but that's different than what the government allows.
Is there anything else we can do to help the effort, or participate with MAC?
First of all, join MAC. it's free! (yes, something in this hobby is actually free!). visit their site at www.aquariumcouncil.org to join. you will then receive quarterly newsletters and updates so you can stay informed. If you join, demand certified animals, and spread the word you'll be doing a lot to promote and support MAC! thanks for the great talk Mary.
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