Marine Aquariums

Sustainable Aquarium Keeping

Tropical fish keeping as a hobby can be a wonderful way to appreciate the fascinating creatures that live beneath the waves. But we want to see hobbyists ensure that their reef keeping practices are sustainable. And to do this, we recommend that hobbyists hold their retailers accountable for sustainable and responsible fish trading.

MarineBio recommends that reef keepers insist that their tropical fish retailers:

Only sell livestock certified by the Marine Aquarium Council: http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/

To be sold as a MAC Certified organism, the marine organism must pass the unbroken chain of custody from ‘Reef to Retail’; meaning collected from a MAC Certified area by a MAC Certified fisherman or cultured in a MAC Certified facility, then passed to a MAC Certified Exporter, then importer and retailer.

The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is an international, multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit and non-governmental organization that brings together conservation organizations, the aquarium industry, public aquariums, hobbyist groups and government agencies to ensure the marine aquarium trade is responsible and sustainable. 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;
- 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.
Quarantine fish stocks before selling them to ensure their viability
Demonstrate knowledge regarding the livestock they sell, including where and how the livestock was harvested
Demonstrate commitment to only selling sustainably caught or raised livestock
Demonstrate a commitment to educating their sales staff
Refuse to stock marine life that is not suitable for captivity
Refuse to stock marine life whose populations are in jeopardy so that they have the chance to re-populate in the wild
Provide education and educational materials for reef keepers to ensure their customers have sufficient knowledge to successfully keep reef fish
Support fish bred through aquaculture

Huge areas of natural reefs have been decimated by the retail tropical fish trade where fish and other marine life were obtained by destructive methods. One of the most destructive practices is poisoning reefs with cyanide or other toxic chemicals to stun the fish so that they can be captured live. The chemical mixture is squirted into reef crevices and the reef is broken apart to harvest the fish. Many of these fish die before or soon after they have been sold. Some estimate up to 80% of fish harvested this way die before they ever make it to a home aquarium. The poison also harms non-targeted species and the live corals. Fortunately, some countries are taking action against this practice. In the Phillipines, the Cyanide Fishing Reform Program is a partnership between the government and the International Marinelife Alliance (IMA), which trains local fishermen to use alternatives to cyanide, such as fine-mesh nets that can be draped over reefs to catch fish for the aquarium trade.

Mortality of tropical fish before it reaches the consumer is also estimated at up to 80% for a number of reasons including poor capture and husbandry practices, stress, and poor shipping practices (see Death in the live fish reef trades reference below). Poor shipping practices of the aquarium trade also needlessly harms wild-caught marine species.

But the ornamental fish trade can be a sustainable industry that can support the livelihoods of indigenous coastal communities as long as these destructive practices are stopped, and fishermen are educated on ways to harvest tropical fish sustainably.

For further information: http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/
Marine Ornamental Species: Collection, Culture and Conservation by James C. Cato and Christopher L. Brown
Freshwater Fishes of Southeast Asia Potential for the Aquarium Fish Trade and Conservation Issues
Cyanide fishing: A poison tide on the reef World Resources Institute
Secretariat of the Pacific Community Live Reef Fish Information Bulletin
Article: Death in the live reef fish trades: http://www.spc.int/Coastfish/News/LRF/10/LRF10-02.htm

Public Aquariums :: For managers, educators and curators
Aquariums, zoos and museums have a unique and unparalleled potential to communicate ocean issues to the public. Please join the Marine Aquarium Council today.

Aquariums Worldwide

The following is a list of marine aquariums around the world. This is not an advertisement or endorsement of the captivity of marine life. For many, if not most, public aquariums are the first, if not only, time that they will see marine life in person. Therefore we consider public aquariums an important source of public information and support those that allocate significant resources towards marine conservation projects, research and education. If you represent an aquarium and would like help increasing your involvement in marine conservation projects, research and education, contact us. If you know of an aquarium we missed, please email us its name or URL (web address) to info@marinebio.org.

AUSTRALIA
Aquarium of Western Australia
Melbourne Aquarium
National Zoo & Aquarium
Reef HQ (Great Barrier Reef Aquarium)
Sydney Aquarium
Underwater World

BERMUDA
Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo

CANADA
Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic
Vancouver Aquarium

CROATIA
Aquarium Crikvenica

DENMARK
Denmarks Aquarium
Fisheries and Maritime Museum
Randers Regnskov Tropical Zoo Aquarium

ENGLAND
Anglesey Sea Zoo
Aquarium of the Lakes
Blue Planet Aquarium
Blue Reef Aquarium
Bolton Museum Aquarium
Bournemouth Oceanarium
Brighton Sea Life Centre
Bristol Zoo Aquarium
Chester Zoo Aquarium
Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre
Lake District Coast Aquarium
Living Coasts
Horniman Museum Aquarium
Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary
London Aquarium
London Zoo Aquarium
National Marine Aquarium
National Sea Life Centre
St. Andrews Aquarium
Scarborough Sea Life Centre
Sea Life centre (Europe)
Underwater World at Birdworld
Underwater World, Hastings
Weymouth Sea Life Park

FINLAND
Kotka Maretarium

FRANCE
Aquarium et Musée Charles Pérez
L'AQUARIUM DE LA ROCHELLE
Oceanopolis
Ocearium du Croisic
NAUSICAA, the French National Sea Experience Centre

GERMANY
Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf - Aquazoo

GREECE
Aquarium of Rhodes

HOLLAND
Burgers Zoo
Emmen Zoo

HONG KONG
Ocean Park

IRELAND
Irish National Aquarium
Lahinch Sea World

ITALY
Acquario Civico-Statione Idrobiologica (Milan Aquarium)
Acquario Diacinto Cestoni
Acquario di Genova
Fondazione Prada
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Unione Italiana degli Zoo e Acquari - UIZA

JAPAN
Kamogawa Sea World
Marine World - Umino-nakamichi
Marine Palace - Oita Sea Life Aquarium
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium

KOREA
Seoul Ocean Aquarium - Coex Aquarium

KUWAIT
The Scientific Center of Kuwait

MEXICO
Acuario de Veracruz
Zoologico Guadalajara

MONACO
Musee Oceanographique Monaco

NEW ZEALAND
Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World
New Zealand Marine Studies Centre and Aquarium
Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House

NORWAY
Atlantic Sea Park Ålesund Aquarium
Sognefjord Aquarium

POLAND
Miejski Ogrod Zoologiczny Wroclaw Akwarium

PORTUGAL
The Lisbon Oceanarium
Vasco da Gama Aquarium

SCOTLAND
Deep Sea World
Oban Seal and Marine Centre

SINGAPORE
Singapore Zoo
Underwater World Singapore

SOUTH AFRICA
East London Aquarium
Durban's Aquarium - uShaka Marine World

SPAIN
Aquarium de San Sebastian
Palma Aquarium
Zoo and Aquarium of Madrid

SWEDEN
Aquaria Water Museum
Kolmardens Tropicarium
Maritime Museum of Gothenburg
Skansen-Akvariet

TAIWAN
National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium

USA
Alaska SeaLife Center - AK
Sonoran Sea Aquarium - AZ
Steinhart Aquarium - CA
Seaworld - CA, FL, TX
Aquarium of the Pacific - CA
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Inst. of Oceanography - CA
Cabrillo Aquarium - CA
Monterey Bay Aquarium - CA
Ocean Journey - CO
Mystic Aquarium - CT
Florida Aquarium - FL
Florida's Gulfarium - FL
Key West Aquarium - FL
Mote Marine Laboratories Aquarium - FL
Clearwater Marine Aquarium - FL
Georgia Aquarium - GA
U of Georgia's Marine Education Center and Aquarium - GA
Maui Ocean Center - HI
Waikiki Aquarium - HI
John G. Shedd Aquarium - IL
Newport Aquarium - KY
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas - LA
New Bedford Oceanarium, MA
New England Aquarium - MA
ZooQuarium - MA
National Aquarium in Baltimore - MD
Gulf of Maine Aquarium - ME
Belle Isle Aquarium - MI
Minnesota Zoo - Discovery Bay - MN
UnderWater World - MN
St. Louis Aquarium at the Zoo - MO
Scott Aquarium - MS
North Carolina Aquariums - NC
Aquatic Education Center - NE
New Jersey State Aquarium - NJ
Atlantis Marine World Aquarium in Riverhead - NY
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium - NY
New York Aquarium - NY
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - OH
Oklahoma Aquarium - OK
Oregon Coast Aquarium - OR
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium - PA
Ripley's Aquarium - SC
South Carolina Aquarium - SC
South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium - SD
Tennessee Aquarium - TN
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - TN
Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park - TX
Dallas World Aquarium - TX
Moody Gardens Aquarium - TX *
San Antonio Zoological Gardens & Aquarium - TX
Texas State Aquarium - TX
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center - VA
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium - WA
Seattle Aquarium - WA
National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.

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