Marine ornamentals certification backed

Stakeholders in Fiji’s marine ornamentals trade have whole-heartedly thrown their support behind the Marine Aquarium Council’s plan to certify the industry so that it meets international environmental standards, following Friday’s national consultation.

“In terms of workshop output, I think we have achieved what we were aiming for,” said Esaroma Ledua, Pacific Regional Coordinator for the Marine Aquarium Council. “The certification process has been well received by the stakeholders.”

In an industry worth an estimated $20 million Fijian (US$ 8,946,000) annually, getting the support of government, industry, NGOs, and other agencies for environmental certification was the critical first step towards making the planned pilot-project a reality.

The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is developing a certification and labeling system for sustainability, to ensure the health of coral reefs and the reef animals through responsible collection, handling, and transporting practices. Marine ornamentals are fish, corals, other invertebrates, and live rock, which are sought after for home and public aquariums. In the Pacific, MAC is working through the South Pacific Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji.

As a result of the national consultation, a task force will be formed within the next month, which will include all stakeholders with an interest in the future of the industry. This task force will help to provide MAC with the guidance it needs to deal with the unique requirements of Fiji’s industry.

The Canada-South Pacific Ocean Development (C-SPOD) funds MAC’s Pacific Regional Coordinator based at the South Pacific Forum Secretariat, and will fund two more national consultations, including one in the Solomon Islands and one in the Cook Islands within the next few months.

This project is part of the Canada-South Pacific Ocean Development (C-SPOD) Program, Phase II, which is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and coordinated by the South Pacific Forum Secretariat and LGL Limited, Canada.

C-SPOD projects are developed and implemented by the participating Regional Organizations, and are approved and managed by a Program Management Committee including CIDA, the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency, the South Pacific Forum Secretariat, the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, and The University of the South Pacific.

All C-SPOD projects will ensure equity and balanced benefits for all Pacific Islanders including children, women, and men.