- Marine aquarium industry collects and exports reef organisms
from most coral reef areas.
- Primary exporters: Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka,
Fiji.
- Smaller amounts come from: other Pacific Islands, East
Africa, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Caribbean, and the US (Hawaii,
Florida).
- Primary products: fish, corals, soft corals and 'live
rock' (4-7 lb pieces of reef).
- Primarily importers: US, EU, Japan.
- Captive breeding of reef organisms (aquaculture) is
only 2-5 % of the market, and is growing very slowly due
to biological and technical constraints to production.
- Significant captive breeding of these products in export
or import countries will not be significant in the near-to-medium
term, if ever.
The Upside
- Collecting and exporting marine
aquarium organisms in developing countries creates jobs
and income in rural low-income coastal areas that have
limited resources and economic options, e.g. an estimated
7,000 collectors in the Philippines.
- Aquarium animals are the highest value-added product
possible to harvest sustainably from coral reefs.
- Collectors of marine ornamentals, and their communities,
often become active reef stewards - guarding these valuable
resources against destructive uses and often creating
de facto management or conservation areas.
- Many in the industry already operate based on 'best
practice' to ensure quality and sustainability (i.e. minimal
loses) and have records to prove it.
- Impartial studies conclude: 'in comparison to other
extractive and destructive impacts on coral reefs,…
the effects of collecting live coral for the aquarium
trade are very small 'and that the global coral trade
has 'little long term impact.'
The Downside:
- Some industry operators use destructive collecting practices
and/or have poor husbandry and handling practices, resulting
in unnecessary mortality and reef degradation.
- There is little or no reliable information on amounts,
kinds and trends in the collection and trade of marine
ornamentals.
- There is little or no reliable information on amounts,
kinds and trends in the collection and trade of marine
ornamentals.
- There is little or no reliable data on the amount, distribution
and status of harvested stocks and reef habitat where
harvesting occurs.
- Government human and financial resources to actively
manage coral reefs and enforce laws against destructive
fishing practices are very limited.
- There are no international industry standards regarding
health reefs and stocks that are harvested, collection
practices, or the holding, husbandry and transport of
marine aquarium animals.
- There is no system to identify quality products and
use of sustainable practices that would allow consumers
to reward these in their purchasing choice.
What
the Stakeholders Want:
- Most aquarium hobbyists want to support an industry
that produces quality products using sustainable practices
- both for ethical/environmental reasons and for personal
reasons (i.e. these products are better value - they are
healthier and live longer).
- Responsible aquarium industry operators want minimal
mortality, healthy animals and healthy bottom line (there
is no profit in a dead fish), a sustainable supply (i.e.
healthy, productive reefs) and standards that codify 'best
practice' and create a 'level the playing field'.
- Conservation organizations want a sustainable, environmentally
sound trade that provides incentives for reef stewardship,
conservation and management.
- Governments and coastal communities in export countries
want a sustainable, environmentally sound trade that provides
jobs and support for reef stewardship, conservation and
management.
- Governments in import countries want their consumers,
policies and legislation to support a sustainable, environmentally
sound trade that provides incentives for reef stewardship,
conservation and management.
The Opportunity: Aquarium Trade
Certification - a 'Win-Win'
Background:
- The demand from informed consumers for quality products
and practices creates an incentive for industry to adopt
and adhere to standards - at no cost to governments.
- Certification and labeling are the most useful means
to ensure that the market requires quality products and
sustainable practices, especially for industries and markets
that are diverse and international.
- The most valid and credible certification is developed
though an institution and process that are independent,
international, and is recognized by/involves all key stakeholders.
- This kind of 'third-party' certification institution/process
developed international standards, accredit those who
certify compliance, label the outputs, and raise awareness,
demand, and confidence among the industry and consumers.
Who and What is the Marine
Aquarium Council (MAC)
- The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) was established in
1998 as an international non-profit with a conservation
mission and its headquarters in Hawaii.
- MAC brings together environment organizations, consumers,
government agencies, the entire industry and others to
develop 3rd party standards, certification and labeling.
- The MAC Board of Directors is required to have a majority
of conservation/public interest representatives.
- On the conservation side, the MAC Board includes the
world's leading conservation organizations (e.g. IUCN,
WWF, TNC), developing country conservation groups (IMA-Philippines,
Indonesia Ecolabeling Institute), and the US public aquarium
association (AZA).
- Philippines, Indonesia Ecolabeling Institute), and the
US public aquarium association (AZA).
On the consumer and industry side, the Board includes
the hobbyist association for North America (MASNA) export
associations of Indonesia and the Philippines, the US
pet trade association (PIJAC), and the 2 largest international
aquarium trade associations.
Certification Will Ensure
the Marine Aquarium Trade Is Responsible and Sustainable
- At No Cost to Governments:
- Certification will create credible, international, multi-stakeholder
standards of practice where none exist.
- The standards will be based on what industry, conservation,
consumers and government - if it chooses to participate
- agree is needed for the trade to be responsible and
sustainable.
- Certification and labeling will create market incentives
for industry to comply with standards of practice by allowing
consumers to vote with their dollars.
- Certification will allow the industry and market to
reject unsustainable, sub-standard practices and products.
- Sub-standard operators will be forced by the market
to either adjust their practices 'upward' or lose market
support and leave the trade.
- Certification will require proof of compliance with
domestic law, e.g. no destructive fishing practices, and
with international law, e.g. CITES permit conditions.
Going Further: Certification
Will Lead to Sustainable Industry Financing for Conservation:
- Certification will require, among other things:
- Monitoring of reefs and stocks for compliance with sustainability
standards.
- Industry documentation of compliance with standards
and providing data to an international trade information
system.
- Management plans and conservation areas for harvested
reefs.
- This means the industry will be required to support
monitoring, documentation and conservation and management
of reefs as the way it does business - i.e. sustainable
self-financing of reef conservation.
- On the other hand, developing countries with most reefs
- and even developed countries - do not have enough funds
to create, implement and enforce enough laws and management
plans to protect all reefs all the time.
- Coastal communities with incentives to manage and conserve
reefs are the only hope for widespread, ongoing, effective
and financially sustainable reef conservation and management.
- Coastal communities involved in the aquarium trade will
be guardians, stewards and enforcers of management and
conservation, often in remote areas rarely visited by
government.
WTO Supports 3rd Party
Multi-Stakeholder Certification
- By following WTO guidance, the 3rd party standards and
certification system can ensure that WTO concerns about
'technical barriers to trade' in 'non-tariff measures'
are addressed.
- The standards and the certification system will:
- Be transparent in their preparation, adoption and application.
- Afford opportunities for participation in their preparation
by interested parties from all affected and interested
countries and stakeholders.
- Be non-discriminatory and non-arbitrary; i.e. not discriminate
between home-produced goods and imports nor imports from
or exports to different trading partners.
- Not affect secure and predictable market access, not
distort competition or consumer choice, not affect producer
access to the full range of market opportunities.
- Be voluntary and applied in a non-discriminatory and
non-arbitrary manner by a credible, independent, international,
3rd party standards-setting multi-stakeholder institution
relevant to the trade in non-food coral reef species.
- Ensure international comparability and equivalency of
the standards and certification.
- Include access to assistance for technical support,
training, and assessment.
Proposals for Unilateral Government
Import Control: a 'Lose-Lose'
Unilateral Trade Restrictions
= Loss Of Economic and Conservation Opportunities:
- The major players, and a critical mass, of the aquarium
industry are now at the MAC multi-stakeholder table and
are committing to conservation-based certification.
- Unilateral government action to ban the import of marine
ornamentals will primarily impact US or EU industry and
consumers, i.e. those most influential in reforming the
trade, most engaged in MAC, and most susceptible to pressure
from conservation groups.
- Such action may drive some industry away from the table
with MAC, it may drive some to get whatever products they
can by destructive methods before the ban comes into effect,
and it may drive some out of business.
- This will have a domino effect, reducing the number
of exporters and collectors in developing countries.
- This will reduce the ability for certification to achieve
the economic and environmental benefits of a sustainable
trade and self-financing conservation.
Loss Of the Aquarium
Trade = Increased Poverty and Environmental Degradation
- The loss of a viable, sustainable industry in rural,
coastal communities in developing countries will eliminate
jobs and lead to increased environmental degradation -
counter to US and EU international policy.
- Eliminating the aquarium trade will:
- Eliminate the stewardship incentive and open these reef
areas to more destructive uses, i.e. a net negative impact
on coral reefs.
- Eliminate the community's high value-added aquarium
fishery, thereby contributing to the poverty and poverty-driven
use of destructive fishing practices for food by the community.
- Eliminate economic options where there are few, and
contribute to the out-migration from rural coastal areas
to over-populated urban areas.
WTO-Related Problems
with Unilateral Trade Control:
- Unilateral government development and application of
criteria for sustainability will very likely be challenged
as technical barrier to trade (TBT).
- Even if the criteria were developed in consultation
with other stakeholders, they would not afford opportunities
for participation by interested parties from all affected
and interested countries, and would therefore be considered
discriminatory.
- The criteria would not be developed and applied in the
manner counseled by the WTO for avoiding TBT in non tariff
measures, i.e. through a credible, international, 3rd
party standards-setting multi-stakeholder institution
relevant to the trade - providing for international comparability
and equivalency and a non-discriminatory and non-arbitrary
system.
Technical Problems with
the Import Ban Concept:
- No Scientific Basis: There is little or no reliable
information on amounts, kinds and trends in the collection
and trade of marine ornamentals and little or no reliable
data on the amount, distribution and status of harvested
stocks and reef habitat where harvesting occurs - therefore
no scientific basis for assuming unsustainability and
a need to restrict trade.
- Import Market Coverage: only some import markets will
be significantly affected by unilateral import restriction,
meaning the demand will continue from other importing
countries - and the need for an international means to
ensure sustainability through certification will continue.
Linking Certification and Import Government
Controls - a 'Win-Win-Win' Concept
It is possible to link
certification and possible controls by import countries
in a way that is mutually supportive. This could be achieved
by:
- Undertaking an international multi-stakeholder consultations
to determine sustainability criteria for all aspects of
harvest or collection, import, export, or re-export of:
i.e. species level, use destructive fishing practices,
handling and transport, ecosystem management.
- Ensuring a credible, international, 3rd party standards-setting
multi-stakeholder institution relevant to the international
trade in non-food coral reef species (i.e. MAC) has participated
in the criteria setting process and agreed to the results.
- Creating government import management based on these
criteria, that require the harvest, import, export, or
re-export of ornamental coral reef species to demonstrate
compliance with the criteria through internationally recognized
certification system (i.e. MAC certification).
|
