Continued from page 2

Conclusion

Most of the marine ornamental fish exporters in the area of Manila, and possibly in the whole country, are having significant difficulty in keeping their business going. The main reason is the high mortality rate of their exported fish, and consequently the customer dissatisfaction overseas.

This problem is due not only to the fact that some are still cyanide caught, but also because of the poor handling techniques that fisherfolk and exporters are practicing, added to the fact that the fish are held for prolonged periods of time in conditions that are of considerable danger such as:

Acute exposure to ammonia Low values of pH Sudden increase of pH High values of Nitrates and Phosphates Drastic temperature changes Oxygen depletion Prolonged exposure to Copper (as treatment) and (possibly) to other heavy metals present in marine epoxies, used in the fabrication of the holding tanks.

In plastic bags or in a recirculating water system the ammonia which fish excrete becomes a crucial factor in water quality. The molecular form of Ammonia, NH3, is highly toxic,while the ionic form, NH4+, is only slightly toxic. Depending on the pH value of the water, when low, much of the ammonia may become ionized and prevent major problems of toxicity. There is a serious problem when the pH increases suddenly due to abrupt water changes. These concepts have to be analyzed in the context of osmoregulation.

All these factors are without doubt responsible for irreparable physiological damage that the fish suffer, and they must be considered as responsible for unnecessary mortality WHICH IS EVIDENT ONLY LATER. Fish under stress, even at a fairly early stage of responding, may show decreased resistance to disease.

The filtration systems at exporters facilities are not well designed, they are not equipped with the proper filter media (e.g activated charcoal) or with other efficient devices (protein skimmers) to handle the metabolic products of a heavy biological load. These are the reasons for frequent wipeouts at exporters holding facilities. The water quality criteria, as a must to anyone who is concerned with the health of fish, are not applied either at the exporters nor the fisherfolk level. The workshops about water quality and filtration systems did provide to members of the Federation and the Haribon team, with the necessary tools to set up better and efficient holding facilities to develop their exporting business.

The Federation of Fish Collectors of the Philippines are working hard to accomplish their main goals:

To assure the supply of net caught fish; To teach the application of Water Quality Criteria (water management) to the collectors and the operators of their holding facilities in Manila; and To revise and modify their handling techniques and holding facilities.

By implementing the above "factors" the Federation will gain the credibility and support of marine fish buyers because it will succeed in lowering mortality rates (getting customers' satisfaction). This in turn will lead to the Federation's goals of achieving a self sufficient livelihood for the fisherfolk. Of course the environment will be a big winner also.

INCENTIVES FOR AQUARIUM FISH COLLECTORS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO USING NETS IS NEEDED.

Support and cooperation are a must to everyone involved in this trade (Collectors, exporters, importers, retailers and aquaria hobbyists) and avoiding conflicts, which only slows down the process of change. Initially, and as reported by Ocean Voice International (OVI) at the PIJAC (Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council) symposium "EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF THE AQUARIUM INDUSTRY" on June 3 4, 1993, Washington, D.C., we believe that the trade of marine fish and invertebrates has the potential to become a sustainable activity if corrective measures are taken in the near future.

OVI's approach is to define problems, identify workable options, choose the most effective solution(s) and work as closely as possible with those involved in implementing the solution(s). This has been our approach to the sustainable commercialization of natural resources for the marine aquarium trade, in response to concerns resulting from the increased collection of marine fish and invertebrates in the waters of tropical countries, over the last decade. Investigating the effect of this activity on coral reefs as well as the trade's sustainability and responding to urgent needs for protective measures are activities that are long overdue and can help the industry.

OVI's articles in Sea Wind (Bulletin of OVI) and in the Netsman Project proposal and reports, emphasize that the aquarium fish trade is one of many (and not necessarily the largest) factors or agents impacting on coral reef environments. Nevertheless, the aquarium industry is not any less responsible for what it has done and should not therefore discount its obligation to become environmentally friendly. In fact, we believe it is in its short term and long term interests to do so. This requirement extends to the collection of wild coral reef fishes, live rock and marine invertebrates. OVI is clearly taking an active role in finding practical solutions and in reconciling conflicts between the aquarium trade and marine conservation needs.

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