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RPI is in the process of conducting a comprehensive analysis of the aquarium industry.
The culmination of this research will be the creation of an educational pamphlet, which will
be fashioned after successful seafood handbooks like the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch” wallet guide, and distributed at public aquariums, pet stores and hobbyist club meetings. The goal of RPI’s pamphlet is to educate hobbyists on the power they have as consumers to steer the industry away from those negative business practices which have a detrimental impact on coral reef ecosystems. The ultimate goal is to instruct consumers to purchase captive-bred animals as a first choice, and when not available, to provide recommendations on sustainable alternatives.
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| RPI is currently working with the Washington D.C. Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS) to create a training curriculum for new hobbyists on how to responsibly care for their pets. We are in the process of developing relationships with other local reef clubs across the country, as well. Eventually, RPI’s website will act as a conduit, connecting new hobbyists to their local clubs so that they may attend meetings and engage with experienced hobbyists with the knowledge to guide them in setting up their new home aquariums. For those who do not have access to a local club, training courses will be available on the RPI website. The RPI website will also compile a geographical list of pet dealers which offer captive-raised and other non-wild alternatives for sale. |
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| RPI’s goal of achieving a state of sustainable self-governance in the aquarium trade cannot be achieved without the support of all stakeholders - members of the trade, government agencies, legislators and the public. This is truly a grassroots movement. We must get the word out about the deleterious environmental impacts of the trade in order to make a positive contribution to coral reef conservation. In an effort to see these changes realized, RPI is in continued dialog with legislators on Capitol Hill, foundations, government agencies and business leaders who have significant influence in how the trade operates. |
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| Every grassroots effort for reform starts with a tightly energized community moving in an aligned fashion to enact change. RPI sees the changes necessary for marine aquarium trade reform as a grassroots effort. We are working hard to create a group of motivated reformers who will spread the word and enact change through their actions. To do this, RPI has forged important relationships with the following organizations (partial list): |
American Marinelife Dealers Association (AMDA)
Blue Frontier Campaign
Earth Island Institute
Marine Aquarium Council (MAC)
Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA)
National Marine Educators Association (NMEA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Ocean Science Foundation (OSF)
Reef Central
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Reef Check
Seacology
Sierra Club
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
U.S. Coral Reef Task Force
Washington D.C. Area Marine Aquarist Society (WAMAS)
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