The Myth of Secret Suppliers in the Marine Aquarium Industry

Let’s just get this out in the open: there are no secret suppliers in the marine aquarium industry.

While some may claim there are, in reality anyone who wants to know from where their animals are coming can find out in pretty short order. Once you understand this point, you realize that most of the “secret supplier” talk is little more than marketing hype, and, when you really look at it, it is, in my opinion, marketing hype that does a disservice to the industry. A sustainable and robust marine aquarium industry needs transparency far more than it needs secrecy right now.

Follow the Paper Trail

So how is it that I can so confidently claim there is no such thing as a secret supplier? The answer is pretty simple. If you do not have a connection in the industry who is more than willing to spill the beans on a competitor, than you always have the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Law Enforcement. More than 200 special agents and 122 wildlife inspectors report through seven regional law enforcement offices to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation every day of the year.

For example, in Los Angeles, where the majority of animals bound for the marine aquarium trade enter the country, inspectors track all imported wildlife with a paper trail that would make the finest bureaucrat proud. And guess what...this paper trail is largely, as you might suspect, a matter of public record by way of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Endangered and threatened species and species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which includes most coral, require importers to be permitted under 50 CFR 17 and 50 CFR 23 respectively. Want to know who is importing what? The answer is just a phone call (and, admittedly, some paperwork) away.

What about animals being imported through illegal channels? Well that is a very real concern, and it is a high stakes game that some choose to play. Fortunately, most of the animals that make it to market at your local retailer have come through legit channels (even when they are marketed as "secret"), but every once in a while, a big bust does occur like the one in London last year.

Does it Really Matter? It's Just Business

In the final equation, you may be wondering who really cares. So what if a retailer markets its product (and, mind you, charges a premium for it) by saying it is direct from a secret supplier. So what if wholesaler X is hyper-protective of “his man” in Australia or Jakarta or Vietnam. It’s business, after all, and in business, companies seek an edge over the competition. If this edge can be achieved by giving the impression that they have access to a secret supplier, then so be it. Right?

Actually, I don’t subscribe to this line of reasoning, as there is much more at stake than the success of business X’s or Y’s bottom line. As Bob Fenner, author of The Conscientious Marine Aquarist eloquently put it to me while discussing this issue the other day, “think further on the effects on all the players involved. Indeed, if there are practices and folks of merit, is it not the best for all to be aware of them? Shouldn’t we share and even exclude non-‘A’ players—as in, get them out of our trade? This is absolutely so. Either deal proficiently, honestly and transparently or get out of my industry.”

A Marine Aquarium Industry Based on the Priciples of Fair Trade

In my perfect world, hobbyists would, through their buying power, seek to empower the best suppliers in the developing world. Hobbyists would seek out retailers who are committed to the principles of fair trade (and who only buy from wholesalers also committed to fair trade). Hobbyists would promote a sustainable and robust hobby by endorsing retailers who deal transparently with wholesalers and suppliers who are, by all metrics, “A players.”

Why does it matter? Suppliers in developing countries upon which this industry has always depended are frequently marginalized. We, through our purchasing power, have the ability to support them on a path to socioeconomic stability that will be good for them, the industry and the animals and ecosystems. 

Hiding suppliers behind a veil of secrecy—whether perceived or real—will only further marginalize them while at the same time leading to environmental degradation, declines in wild populations of marine animals and, ultimately, the collapse of the industry as we know it.

The choice is ours.

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