International Aquarium Congress September 2012 – World Café Collection Sustainability Harvest

International Aquarium Congress 2012

World Café

Collection Sustainability

12th September 2012

CTICC

International Aquarium Congress September 2012 – World Café Harvests

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High  Level  Objective    Build the IAC community through 2 World Café sessions as part of the IAC conference for participants to connect, network, converse and share their challenges, their solutions, their resources, their ideas and invite everyone’s involvement and contribution.  

Collection  Sustainability  Issues  

   

Themes   Issues  

 Suppliers  

 

  Ethical  and  sustainable  suppliers  and  collectors  

o Want  to  acquire  animals  from  ethical  and  sustainable  suppliers  

Traceability:    o Costs  o Origin  o Techniques  o Food  requirements  

Acquisition/Disposition:  o Sourcing  of  animals  o Ethics  o Sustainability  

Reliable  &  sustainable  commercial  suppliers   Ethics  /  Law:  

o How  far  do  you  push  collections?  o What  difference  is  there  between  dolphin  &  anchovy?  

 Sustainable  Source  (Trust  of  both  Aquariums  

and  Suppliers)    

  Trust  of  suppliers  

o Quarantine  after  long  distance  travel  o Declining  availability  of  fish  

Source  is  not  stable  or  reliable   Cost   Permits  –  hard  to  get  especially  the  protected  species   Communication  is  not  good  either   Maintenance  of  collection  species   Understand  the  environment  where  collected  species  come  from   New  species  vs.  old  tank  

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 New  Development  

 

  Changing  project  timelines  

o Projects  being  delayed  can  cause  problems  for  collections  from  source  to  aquarium  

o Can  impact  husbandry    

 Public    

(Expectation  and  Pressure)  

 

  NGO:  

o Not  science  based  goals  o Political  issues  related  to  permits  

Meeting  expectations  of  public  &  departments  within  the  organisation,  e.g.  one  animal  needed  by  various  departments  

Public  expectations  vs.  reality  –  maintaining  the  balance  between  what  they  expect  to  see  &  what  we  are  able  to  provide  

New  charismatic  species  –  no  room  for  mistakes:  o Restricts  our  ability  to  innovate  

NGO’s  and  public  pressure:  o Emotionally  driven  o Financially  driven  

 Availability  

 

  Acquisitions  and  dispositions  –  No.1  challenge   Lack  of  species  available  (Chinese)  

 Ethics  

(Aquarium  Ethics  –  what  they  are  keeping  &  

Supplier  Ethics  -­‐  how  they  collect)    

  Perception  of  wild  caught  animals  

o What  is  the  difference  between  fish  or  dolphin  or  elephant  collected  from  the  wild  (ethically)  

Research  &  Development  -­‐  innovation  

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 Husbandry  /  Information  

  Misunderstandingcreate  a  gap  between  staff,  visitors,  technical  

and  aquarium   Disconnect  between  idealistic  acquisitions  &  realistic  husbandry   What  to  do  with  animals  that  don’t  fit  into  the  exhibit  for  

whatever  reason  &  where  do  you  draw  the  line  with  kind  of  problem  and  species  

Surplus  species  management  –  what  to  do  with  species  after  temporary  exhibitions?  

Disease  control   Introducing  new  /  young  species  into  a  mature  display  

o The  mature  very  established  o Hierarchy  and  new  causes  confusion  &  fighting  resulting  

in  increased  mortality   Opening  collection  tells  a  story  –  then  introducing  new  means  

disrupting  the  story  and  rebuilding  the  display   Mortalities:  

o Acceptable?  o Learning  curve  o Rationalising  o Reducing  o Perception  of  public  

Unexpected  arrivals:  o Unprepared  o Low  information  base  on  supply  

 Cost  

  Finance  –  high  cost  in  stocking  the  aquarium  (i.t.o.  staff  or  

supply)   Collections:  

o Costly  o Location  –  restricted  access  to  animals  –  MPA’s  

 Communication  

between  Aquariums    

 

  Communication  between  aquariums  regarding  ethical  and  

sustainable  suppliers  &  available  species  for  exchange   Lack  of  breeding  information  for  use  by  all  

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 Permits  

  Politics:  

o No  accountability  &  responsibility  particularly  municipalities  

o Lack  of  qualifications   Permits  –  government  regulation  &  adaptability  to  regulations   Regulations  -­‐  Local,  National  &  International   Predation  

 

Collection  Sustainability  Solutions  

   

Themes   Solutions  

 Collection  Plan  

 

  Clarity  of  mission:  

o ICP  o Resource  allocation  -­‐  staff  /  budget  

Regularly  reviewing  institutional  program  (ICP)  –  willing  to  add  &  remove  animals  

Disposition  –  animals  for  life  or  plan  their  future  ahead   Create  healthy,  diverse  exhibits  that  are  economical  &  

functional.    Use  quarantine  as  a  tool  to  achieve  this  goal  whenever  possible  

Education  up  &  down:  o Consensus  of  all  to  develop  a  collection  plan  

Bigger  vs.  better  –  make  the  little  ‘critters’  wow!   Have  a  clear  vision  and  institutional  collection  plan   Create  a  long  term  vision  leading  to  new  captive  communities  

 

 Budget  

 

  Set  realistic  budgets  for  animal  acquisitions  

 

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 Communication  with  External  Audiences  

 

  Be  rationally  assertive  and  strong    -­‐  don’t  apologise   Public  Aquarium  responsibility  for  the  global  collection  

o House  animals  o Training  &  education  o Aquarium  hotline  

Permits:  o Proper  resources  (flow,  time,  cost)  o Communication  

Building  strategic  relationships  with  authorities  &  public   Raise  awareness  /  profile  of  what  we  do   Open  communication  with  staff,  regulatory  agencies,  

management,  suppliers  &  collectors   Public  aqauaria  must  build  trust  and  credibility  by  proving  their  

actions:  o Legislation  around  breeding  –  aquariums  of  a  certain  size  

should  breed   Communication  &  education  through  transparency   Educate  the  public  

 Communication  

between  Aquariums  and  

Regional  Organisisations  

 

  Global  co-­‐operation  between  organisations  (not  splitting  up)  

o Use  existing  stakeholders  like  WAZA  o Get  a  common  voice  also  for  solving  permit  problems  in  

the  long  term   More  communication  between  aquariums  regarding  trusted,  

ethical  suppliers   IAC  should  be  a  bridge  between  aquariums,  giving  for  example  

good  information  on  the  reputation  of  suppliers   Co-­‐operative  management  at  regional  &  global  level   Ethical  suppliers  –  communication  between  aquariums  

concerning  trusted  suppliers  (trusted  list)   Ethical  suppliers  –  exchanging  between  aquariums   Aquariums  should  work  together  and  speak  in  one  voice:  

o Legislation  o Information  sharing  o Breeding  programmes  o Use  existing  structures  

Information  &  Communication:  o Sharing  

More  regular  &  more  easily  o Quality    

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More  precise  data  (what,  where,  when,  how  &  who)  

Develop  I.A.C.  supplier  list   East/West  communications   Permitting  –  build  up  trust  as  institute,  regional  associations  &  

international  associations  to  work  together  to  influence  and/or  change  legislation  

Animal  change   Networks  –  communication   Communicate  with  each  other  (build  and  maintain  network)    

o Including  researchers  o Sharing  animals  /  Husbandry  techniques  

Improve  relationships   Speak  with  a  united  voice  against  uninformed  bureaucracy    

 Suppliers  

  AZA  –  commercial  member  that  accredits  animal  collectors  

o Where  do  we  go  for  animals  from  reputable  suppliers?   Certification  of  suppliers  to  ensure  sustainability  of  sourcing  

practices   Ethically  collected  healthy  animals  cost  money  

o Have  a  list  of  sustainable  collectors  o Regional  associations  could  mandate  that  their  members  

utilise  sustainable  /  ethical  collectors  first   Ethical  collection  for  sustainability  

o Know  how  o Appropriate  facility  o Appropriate  source:  

Breeding   Source     Good  husbandry  

o Disposition  –  animals  for  life  or  plan  their  future  ahead   Define  source  for  stocking  aquaria  

o Breeding  programmes  o Suppliers  o Other  aquaria  

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 Training  /  Education  

  Training  of  control  officials  (customs,  etc)   Educate  suppliers  and  nurture  the  relationships  with  them  –  

fisherman,  etc   Permitting  –  select  one  person  to  manage  permitting  process.  

They  build  up  knowledge  and  build  relationships   Permits  –  build  up  relationship  with  officials,  government  &  

permit  makers   Education:  

o Fishermen  o Legislators  o Park  officials  o Compliance  officers  

Be  proactive  with  regards  to  potential  legislative  restrictions  o Best  management  practices  o Protocols  o Specimen  assessments  

Show  responsibility   Availability  of  animals  

o Empowering  and  educating  fishermen  o Relationships  with  other  institutions  to  exchange  animals  

 

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