|
| |
Social
Equity Issues |
|
The very first travel undertaken by the MAC Executive
Director was to the Philippines and included significant time
spent in fishermen villages. For example, at the Philippines
national multi-stakeholder workshop on a sustainable aquarium
trade was already organized by MAC in 1998. At the time, MAC
ensured that collector’s representatives made presentations
and participated alongside industry, government and conservation
organizations.
|
- Identification of interested stakeholders ;
- Details of consultations leading to the management of
the fishery;
- Arrangements for ongoing consultations with stakeholders;
- Details of decision-making process or processes, including
participants;
- Objectives for the marine aquarium fishery: resource,
environmental, biodiversity and ecological, technological,
social, economic ; and
- Details of individuals or groups granted access rights
to the marine aquarium fishery and particulars of the nature
of those rights.
|
MAC international Standards help maintain the resource
base for current and future generations of local users and
owners through the following conditions:
|
- Identification of interested stakeholders ;
- Establishing maximum acceptable level of post-harvest
mortality; and
- Creating incentives to prevent other destructive uses
of the reef ecosystem.
|
MAC Certified collectors need only harvest in response
to orders from their buyers, so fishing effort and resources
are not expended on unwanted specimens that provide collectors
with low or no payment. Unnecessary mortality is reduced,
contributing to sustainability and a reasonable work program
for collectors.
|
MAC Certification requires transparency and traceability
in the documentation of collection amounts, species, location
and effort. This levels the playing field as prices are negotiated.
It also improves harvest level and catch- per-unit-effort
data needed for better managing the reefs.
|
| As MAC Certification benefits become widely publicized,
consumer preference for certified organisms will increase
and acceptance of lower quality, uncertified organisms will
decrease. Certified collectors should be able to earn more
with less effort and acquire bargaining power with those whom
they supply |
| |
