Ocean Voice International and our partner the Haribon Foundation of the
Philippines have been working since 1989, training fisherfolks to use nets
instead of cyanide to collect marine ornamental fish to satisfy the demand
of aquarium hobbyists in Europe, North America and Asiatic countries. So far
our project has trained close to 1000 fish collectors. There are many more
to be trained (1500-2000).
Probably the most sustainable result of the funded project " Environmental
Education and Sustainable Livelihood", was the establishment of a Peoples
organization known as the Federation of Aquarium Fish Collectors of the
Philippines (PMP) . The Federation has now 500 members. The objetives of the
Federation are to strengthen local organizations for the protection of the
environment and to raise the social-economic status of its members.
The Canadian Development Agency (CIDA) has agreed to provide funds to OVI
and the Haribon Foundation to develop the phase III of the project.During
this phase following some of our goals:
-to continue and mantain the net training program
-to promote awareness and conservation of the marine environment
-to improve the handling techniques and holding facilities at collectors
level and distribution center in Manila.
-to maintain workshops about water quality criteria
-to promote the Federation of Fish Collectors (PMP)
-to help the PMP with marketing and administrative aspects
-to introduce "new" concepts to the fisherfolk, about some species and their
importance to the reef ecosystem, as well as unsuitability of some species to
survive in captivity.
-to participate, promote and support the activities of the Aquarium Trade
Committee, created during the last MACNA VII.
Support and cooperation are a must to everyone involved in this trade;
collectors,exporers, importers,retailers and hobbyists.Conflicts only
slow down the process of change. We do 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. We have been asking
the aquarium industry and hobbyists to help to solve the problem. This is
your chance to contribute to a sustainable future in marine aquarium fish
collection.
Jaime Baquero
Ocean Voice International
102171,2076 CompuServe
bd268freenet at carleton.ca
corbarec at istar.ca