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MARINE AQUARIUM COUNCIL<br>
<br>
</b></u><font size=3><i>Certification for Quality and
Sustainability<br>
in the Collection, Culture and Commerce of Marine Ornamentals<br>
<br>
</font></i><font size=4><b><u>MAC NEWS 2nd Quarter 2001<br>
<br>
</font><font size=3></div>
Welcome<br>
<br>
</b></u>We are especially pleased to bring you this MAC News to announce
that the MAC “Core Standards” and “Best Practice Guidance” are finalized.
This issue will also update you on the progress towards launching the
complete MAC Certification system later this year.<br>
<br>
<b><u>MAC “CORE STANDARDS” and "BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE" Now
Available !<br>
<br>
</u>The MAC “Core Standards” and “Best Practice Guidance” have been
completed and are available on the MAC website</b>
<</font><a href="http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF"><u>www.aquariumcouncil.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000">>
in the section on "MAC Standards". <br>
<br>
<b>These documents establish the basic criteria and supporting advice on
environmental certification for the marine ornamentals trade in the areas
of:<br>
- Ecosystem and Fisheries Management (EFM)<br>
- Collection, Fishing and Holding (CFH)<br>
- Handling, Husbandry and Transport (HHT)<br>
<br>
The “Core Standards” and “Best Practice Guidance” incorporate public
feedback and the results of numerous rounds of review by the
international, multi-stakeholder MAC Standards Advisory Group</b> (SAG).
We are grateful for the time and effort that so many concerned
individuals have put into the development of the MAC Standards and
guidance documents. A synthesis of the comments from the public and
SAG will be available soon on the MAC website. Some of the suggestions
that were unable to be taken on board in the Core Standards are more
appropriate to, and will be incorporated in, the "Full
Standards". <br>
<br>
<b><u>Field Partnership Well Underway in the Philippines; More Possible
in Other Areas<br>
<br>
</u>Good progress is being made in the Feasibility Study to ensure a
critical mass of collection areas and collectors in the Philippines have
the potential to comply with MAC Core Standards</b>. At the collectors
and collection sites participating in the study, the MAC-IMA Partnership
Project is assessing the collectors' ability to meet MAC Standards,
developing a training program to ensure collectors have the knowledge and
skills they need and trying out the Standards. <br>
<br>
Collectors are pleased with the many aspects of the emerging
certification system, such as the "supply to order" process and
collection logbooks. <b>All participants are especially happy with the
high quality fish and low mortality rates that the Feasibility Study is
already delivering</b>. MAC will be developing more partnership projects
with additional organizations to facilitate certification testing and
training in other areas that supply marine ornamentals.<br>
<br>
<b><u>Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) supports MAC
Certification<br>
<br>
</u>The PCSD and MAC have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
pledging to collaborate to achieve a sustainable ornamental fish
industry</b> <b>in Palawan Province of the Philippines</b>. PCSD is
mandated by law to ensure the sustainable development of Palawan and has
developed an accreditation program for those involved the live fish
trade. The MOU will ensure a linkage between MAC Certification and PCSD
licensing of those involved in the marine ornamental trade. <br>
<br>
<b><u>MAC Certification Test Cases Coming Soon: Participants Wanted<br>
<br>
</u>Test Cases - conducting trial runs of the entire certification system
from reef to retail - are the next major step in bringing certification
to reality</b>. These will focus on operations in the supply areas where
the marine aquarium industry has been most interested and able to
interact with MAC, e.g. the Philippines, Fiji, and Hawaii. <b>Many
exporters in these areas, and wholesalers importing from these areas,
have already expressed interest in helping test the certification
system</b>. <br>
<br>
<b>MAC would particularly welcome participation in the testing from
companies involved in the transshipment and retail of marine ornamentals
from these areas</b>. Other supply areas may be added to the Test Cases
based on the strength of commitment from industry operators in areas and
the capacity of MAC to respond. <b>Numerous independent certification
companies have applied to become accredited by MAC and are listed on the
MAC website</b>, where an application form and guidelines for certifier
accreditation can be found.<br>
<br>
<b>Marine aquarium industry companies and certification companies
interested in participating in the Test Cases should contact Peter</b>
<b>Scott</b>, the MAC Accreditation Coordinator, at:
<</font><font color="#0000FF"><u>peter.scott@aquariumcouncil.org</font></u><font color="#000000">><br>
<br>
<b><u>MAC Standards and Monitoring: Key Input to International Workshop
on the Coral Trade<br>
<br>
</b></u>In Jakarta in April, the US Government and Indonesia organized an
<b>international workshop on the trade in coral and live rock to develop
recommendations for the management, best harvest practices, and
monitoring of these resources</b>. Representatives of industry,
government agencies and non-government organizations from most coral
exporting countries participated in the workshop. <b>The draft MAC
Standards and draft MAC Monitoring protocols were a major component of
the deliberations</b> <b>on collection, management and monitoring and
were refined and strengthened through the workshop review and
comment</b>.<br>
<br>
<b><u>Global Marine Aquarium Database (GMAD) Update<br>
<br>
</b></u>The partnership between MAC and the UNEP - World Conservation
Monitoring Center (WCMC) to create <b>GMAD - the world’s database on the
international trade in marine aquarium organisms - is growing steadily
and now includes data from: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia,
Maldives, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Palau, Philippines, Saudi
Arabia, Sri Lanka, UK, and USA.<br>
<br>
We strongly encourage those who have not yet provided their data, which
is kept confidential, to contact Dr Ed Green</b>:
<</font><font color="#0000FF"><u>Ed.Green@unep-wcmc.org</font></u><font color="#000000">>.
<b>Companies that provide data to GMAD are listed and linked on the MAC
website</b>. MAC encourages these companies to put a link from their
website to MAC and make the following claim on their site: "This
company supports the Marine Aquarium Council by providing data to the
Global Marine Aquarium Database (GMAD) of the UNEP-World Conservation
Monitoring Centre"<br>
<br>
<b><u>MAC in the Media<br>
<br>
</u>Substantial articles on the marine aquarium trade and MAC
certification, have appeared in:<br>
- Pets International</b>, June 2001, "The Marine Aquarium Council:
Certification for Quality and Sustainability in Marine
Ornamentals".<br>
<b>- Scientific American</b>, July 2001, Fishy Business".<br>
<b>- San Jose Mercury News</b>, 22 May 2001, "Saving Reefs: A
collective approach".<br>
<b>- VetCentric</b> (on-line magazine), 24 June 2001, "The Seahorse
Situation". <br>
<b>- "Marine Ornamentals and Conservation", in
"Korallenriff - Aquarium: Volume 1"</b> by Svein A. Fossa and
Alf Jacob Nielson - revised and republished in 2001 (in German).<br>
<br>
<b>MAC and certification have also been mentioned by: <br>
- The Wall Street Journal</b>, 29 May 2001, "Guppies for
yuppies".<br>
<b>- Reuters</b>, 14 June 2001, "Exotic Fish Trade Grapples with
Image, Breeding".<br>
<b>- The Honolulu Advertiser</b>, 4 June 2001, "Reef-fish collectors
treat prey with care".<br>
<b>- Audubon Magazine</b> (on line magazine), Question and Answer
section.<br>
<br>
Most of these articles will be posted on the MAC website as soon as
possible.<br>
<br>
<b><u>For More Information on MAC or for Copies of the MAC Brochure<br>
</b></u>Visit the MAC website:
</font><a href="http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/</a></font></u><font color="#000000">
or contact us at:
</font><font color="#0000FF"><u>info@aquariumcouncil.org<br>
<br>
</font></u><br>
<div>Paul Holthus </div>
<div>Executive Director, Marine Aquarium Council </div>
<br>
<div>923 Nu'uanu Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii USA 96817 </div>
<div>Phone: (+1 808) 550-8217 Fax: (+1 808)
550-8317 </div>
<div>Email: paul.holthus@aquariumcouncil.org </div>
Website:
<a href="http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>www.aquariumcouncil.org</a><x-tab> </x-tab>
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