Standards for a sustainable marine aquarium trade

The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) was established in 1998 as an independent, multi-stakeholder organisation to help ensure the marine aquarium trade is sustainable and responsible. The aim of the organisation is to formulate a global approach to bring together the aquarium industry, collectors and their communities, conservation organizations, public aquariums, hobbyists, and others to create international standards, certification and labelling for the entire chain of custody -- and raise awareness, demand, and confidence among all parties. MAC’s mission is “to conserve coral reefs and other marine ecosystems by creating standards and certification for those engaged in the collection and care of ornamental marine life from reef to aquarium”.
MAC accomplishes its mission through the following activities: Establishing independent certification of best practice standards; Raising public awareness of the conservation role of the marine aquarium industry and hobbyists; Providing objective, accurate data on the marine ornamental trade; Promoting the sustainable use of coral reefs and other marine ecosystems though the responsible collection of marine ornamental life Ensuring the health and quality of marine ornamental life through responsible collection, handling and transporting practices; and Encouraging responsible husbandry through education and training.
Animals that are collected from MAC-certified collection areas and handled by MAC-certified industry operators that meet defined quality standards are labelled as MAC-certified. Hobbyists are also increasingly seeking out MAC-certified marine organisms as a way of ensuring they acquire healthy marine ornamentals, and at the same time support responsible industry operators and help conserve coral reefs.
The MAC standards, launched in 2001, outline the requirements for third-party certification of quality and sustainability for the global marine aquarium trade. Several years of consultation were undertaken around the world to develop three MAC standards covering the entire “reef to retail” supply chain, as well as documenting “best practice guidance” information, building on the good practices used by the many responsible industry members:
Ecosystem and Fishery Management (EFM) Standard: Ensuring the collection area is managed as a responsible fishery to maintain the health of the habitat, stocks and species populations, and including resource assessment and monitoring, a Collection Area Management Plan (CAMP…