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The marine aquarium trade in Papua New Guinea: Historical context and
current activities

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 The marine aquarium trade in Papua New Guinea:
Historical context and current activities

Lorel Dandava-Oli,1 Philip Sokou2 and Colette Wabnitz3

Introduction • The resource assessment, community training and

extension work part of the project have been success-
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Fisheries ful at providing good quality fish, and setting a good
Authority (NFA) has been interested in developing management and monitoring framework in place.
its aquarium fishery since 2004. In the second half of
2007, with the approval of its board, NFA commissioned • A full baseline inventory of potential marine aquar-
EcoEZ Inc., a consulting company based in Alexandria, ium fish species and invertebrates, their densities,
Virginia, USA, to conduct a rough assessment of marine estimated stocks and total allowable catch by species
species with potential for export as ornamentals. The pro- for each of the eight fisheries managements areas
ject, then named as the Papua New Guinea Sustainable (FMAs) already surveyed has been produced.
Marine Aquarium Resources Trade was given a substan- • The holding facility constructed is world class and is
tial start-up budget over a six-week period. Following to MAC certifiable standards, but operational costs
this initial resource assessment, a one-year technical ser- are very high, and have contributed to the lack of
vices contract was then awarded to EcoEZ Inc. in Janu- commercial viability of the project.
ary 2008. The project was re-named the SEASMART
Programme (Sustainable Enterprise Advancement • Poor species mix probably contributed to poor eco-
through the Market Advantages of Responsible Trade) nomic performance.
and its objective was to provide technical and project Given the overall non-commercial viability of the pro-
management services for the development of a sustain- ject, poor communication between project operators
able marine aquarium trade industry in PNG. At the end and NFA, and the failure to deliver on several key project
of its first year, the programme was extended for another deliverables (including a finalised management plan and
two years. fully functional export monitoring software), operations
Key achievements of the programme over these three were shut down in December 2010.
years include:

• a number of export trials; Table 1. Number of fishers trained under SEASMART in eight
Central Province communities in Papua New Guinea.
• training men and women in eight Central Province
coastal communities in the collection and handling Community Number of fishers trained
practices according to the Marine Aquarium Coun-
cil4 certification standards of fish, coral and inverte- Fishermen Island 22
brates (see Table 1); and Roku 18
• the establishment of a state-of-the-art export facility
Kouderika 12
in central Port Moresby.
Gaire 18
Although laudable, it should be noted that these achieve-
ments were accomplished at significant expense — nearly Gabagaba 18
PGK 15 million (~ USD 5 million) over a three-year period
Pari and Tarauama 30
ending in 2010. At the request of NFA, a formal review of
programme outcomes was undertaken by SPC in October Keapara 27
2010, with the following findings and conclusions.

1.
Fisheries Officer, PNG National Fisheries Authority. Email: LDandava@fisheries.gov.pg
2.
Fisheries Officer, PNG National Fisheries Authority. Email: PSokou@fisheries.gov.pg
3.
Fisheries Scientist (Aquarium trade), Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Email: ColetteW@spc.int
4.
Note that this programme is now defunct.

37
 The marine aquarium trade in Papua New Guinea: Historical context and current activities

EcoAquariums NFA Marine Aquarium Programme

Capitalising on the resource assessments and commu- After closure of SEASMART in 2010, NFA integrated
nity training portion of the work undertaken by EcoEZ, the resources assessment and training component of the
and addressing some of the issues raised by SPC in its programme into its fisheries management unit, with the
review, a private entrepreneur submitted a proposal to objective at the time to undertake resources monitoring
NFA in 2011 to establish a smaller entity. In early 2012, and collectors training in the event that a private sector
the proposal was accepted and a trial license granted to for marine ornamentals develops.
EcoAquariums to export marine ornamentals from the
FMAs around Port Moresby and Central Province. The The NFA Marine Aquarium Programme currently con-
company established its holding and packing facility sists of three core divisions:
on Fishermen Island5 — traditionally known as Daugo
1. Resource Assessment and Management — Staff are
Island — and fish collection centred mainly around the
responsible for conducting regular biological sur-
island itself; although fish provision toward shipment
veys and monitoring of key species typically traded
originally was meant to be allocated on a rotational basis
for the marine aquarium trade at predefined sites
between Fishermen Island, Pari and Taurama villages,
within the eight FMAs.
with all collectors trained under SEASMART. The com-
pany’s main objectives were to ensure that fish were col- 2. Fishers and Fishery Division — Staff are responsi-
lected at sustainable levels and were of high quality, and ble for training local aquarium fisher folks on proper
that activities promoted equitable trade. However, in collection, handling and packing methods.
early 2013, after 30 shipments were made between 2011
and 2012 (to the US, Europe, and Asia), the company 3. Management Area Planning — Staff deal with the
ceased operations due to its economic non-viability. social component of the programme, which includes
Freight costs, the high price per fish paid to collectors, engaging with community stakeholders and raising
the difficulty in keeping collectors (at Fishermen Island awareness about the marine aquarium programme,
in particular) engaged in the trade due to other more conducting socioeconomic monitoring surveys, and
lucrative opportunities (e.g. tuna fishing) all seem to assisting village members in developing a committee
have significantly contributed to this outcome. At pre- that will regulate aquarium fishing activities within
sent, the future of the company is unclear. their respective communities.

Women from Fishermen Island preparing live

coral pieces for grow out (image: Colette Wabnitz).

38 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #141 - May–August 2013

 The marine aquarium trade in Papua New Guinea: Historical context and current activities

In 2011, detailed surveys of Fishermen Island collection • Given the overall reduced level of marine aquar-
areas were conducted to assess fish, coral and invertebrate ium activities since 2011, a number of the Marine
population abundance after marine collection activities Aquarium Programme staff were also recruited to
ceased. Findings indicated that there were no significant participate in other inshore fisheries activities, such
differences between collection years and the 2011 assess- as beech-de-mer stock monitoring (8 out of the 14
ment, seemingly indicating that collection areas are in maritime provinces in PNG); Inshore Fish Aggregat-
good condition. Concern was raised at one point during ing Device (IFAD) programme; Port Moresby Clean
the programme because of the many sea anemones spot- Seascape Programme; fish market surveys; and giant
ted without their resident host percula clownfish (Amphi- clam hatchery development work.
prion percula). However, recent surveys seem to indicate
With Marine Aquarium Programme activities currently
that the population has recovered. Unfortunately, there
on hold, all officers working for the programme have
has been no follow up assessments since then.
been made staff of NFA’s inshore fisheries.
In 2012, ecological surveys conducted around Pari and Based on experiences thus far, the following activities
Tarauma, two communities meant to contribute fish are recommended:
toward EcoAquariums’ shipments, showed stocks to
be in good health. However, the study cautioned that • Conduct a detailed economic viability assessment
the overall reef area available for collection is relatively for aquarium trade activities. Freight within and
small, with all three FMAs sharing the same reefs and out of PNG is extremely expensive and presents a
collecting ornamentals from these interchangeably. major (together with operating costs) hurdle to the
establishment and development of commercially
Fishermen Island, Pari and Tarauma were also chosen viable marine ornamental trade activities in PNG.
as key sites for socioeconomic assessments. Their aim Some of this work is currently being undertaken for
was to identify any social impacts linked to the aquar- potential operations out of Kavieng (partly based
ium programme, and how NFA can best address issues, on Kinch 20085), as a collaborative effort among
if any, when they arise. Findings showed that in Pari and SPC, the National Fisheries College, and research-
Taurama, the impact of the trade was minimal due to ers from the Australian Centre for International
the inconsistent or lack of collectors’ employment. How- Agricultural Research.
ever, fishers in these villages retain a keen interest to be
involved in the trade and at their request undertook a • Individuals expressing an interest in developing
refresher training, led by the NFA Fishers and Fishery collection activities should put forward a solid
Division team, on species identification, as well as col- business plan, indicating proven experience in the
lecting and handling techniques. At Fishermen Island, field and the capacity to run an independently run
where fishers have been involved in collection since commercial enterprise (i.e. fully self-financing or at
2008, the surveys highlighted several concerns, includ- the very least capable of covering the majority of
ing issues associated with ownership rights, prices paid set-up costs; clear price structure and breakdown
for different species, collection gear maintenance, com- of how shipments will cover operating costs and
pany partnership, and neglect of promised benefits to allow for income generation). Such a set-up would
the community by EcoAquariums. Nevertheless, several demonstrate clear commitment to run as a fully
community members, especially women, highlighted independent commercial enterprise, and given that
that collection activities provide an important source of their own funds are at stake, individuals would have
income to those actively involved in the trade. a greater responsibility and motivation to ensure
the business succeeds.
To date, other activities undertaken by the Marine
Aquarium Programme team have included: • Finalise the management plan and accompanying
regulations and licensing conditions; tjese should
• Attempts to revive Management Area Planning also be gazetted to provide the required and adequate
committees at Fishermen Island, Pari and Taurama control and support for the sustainable management
villages. The committees, made up of appointed of the industry. This is particularly important with
community stakeholders, were originally established regard to potential farmed coral exports. Indeed,
to give a sense of ownership and responsibility over from the outset, marine ornamental trade activities
collection activities and manage these as well as in PNG included coral farming of both soft and hard
any issues that may arise among villagers. However, corals. Yet no hard corals were ever shipped, due to
these remained largely ineffective because members the lack of adequate regulations (i.e. management
expected to be financially rewarded for their time. plan and monitoring framework to fulfil CITES6

5.
Kinch 2008, A preliminary assessment of the viability of the development of the marine ornamental aquarium fishery in Papua New Guinea.
Report prepared for EcoEZ Inc. and the National Fisheries Authority. 13 p.
6.
CITES = Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

39
 The marine aquarium trade in Papua New Guinea: Historical context and current activities

non-detriment finding) did not allow for the Depart- and compile all marine aquarium survey data, export
ment of Environment (local management authority) data, and fishery reports for storage in the NFA data-
to issue permits for their export. These steps should base. These data should then be analysed, linked to
be taken before the establishment of any new enter- the socioeconomic context of PNG, and findings writ-
prise. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community has ten up for publication. Considerable time, effort and
offered to work with relevant staff to finalise the plan resources have been expended toward developing
for its submission to the NFA board by the end of an aquarium trade activity in PNG. It is unfortunate
this working year. that this has not been a successful venture as yet. Key
aspects of the groundwork laid down during the time
• If and once collection and export activities resume,
of the various initiatives were constructive and positive
emphasis should be placed on reliability, good spe-
at a wide number of levels, including from a resource
cies mix, quality, and consistency of production to
assessment, educational and capacity building per-
maintain a competitive advantage. Volume and pric-
spective. Presenting a summary of these experiences,
ing at the market along with the aforementioned
together with data analyses and showcasing lessons
may also account for profitability.
learned from the initiatives would be interesting and
The Marine Aquarium Programme should further valuable to PNG, its partners in the region, and the
capitalise on the momentum generated from past ini- marine ornamental community at large.
tiatives and the current lull in activities to standardise

NFA staff during a marine aquarium trade survey. From left to right:
Jonathan Isikiel, William Bina, Anthony Nagul and Lorel Dandava-Oli.

© Copyright Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 2013

All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPC authorises the partial
reproduction or translation of this newsletter for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPC and
the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole,
NFAinstaff
any during
form, whether for aquarium
a marine commercialtrade
/ for profit
survey.orFrom
non-profit
left topurposes, must beIsikiel,
right: Jonathan requested in writing.
William Bina,
Original SPC artwork
Anthony Nagulmayandnot be altered
Lorel or separately
Dandava-Oli (image: published without permission.
Colette Wabnitz).
The views expressed in this Bulletin are those of the authors and are not necessarily shared
by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
Original text: English
Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Fisheries Information Section, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Telephone: +687 262000; Fax: +687 263818; cfpinfo@spc.int; http://www.spc.int/fame
40 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #141 - May–August 2013

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