David Vosseler talks about SEASMART's program.
Exciting developments from Papua New Guinea! These small islands are teaming with life that until now has essentially unavailable to the aquarium trade. The Solomon Islands are populated by many tribes, and are known for the fact that they speak 800 languages. Pigeon English is but one, but the one thing they share in common are their beautiful waters and the life within. SEASMART's goal is to work with the native inhabitants, teaching them how to sustainably harvest corals and fish without disrupting their ecosystem. This is the area where the Lightning Maroon Clownfish came from earlier this year.
With careful planning and good training, locals are taught to free dive (no SCUBA gear) to net fish and collect coral fragments, only taking a small portion of what is available so the ecosystem continues to thrive. If these items aren't sold to the distributors, they are released back into the reef. At MACNA this year, we were able to watch a brief video showing how this is being done. It was truly fascinating. Interested in interning for a couple of weeks? They'd love your help.
To learn more about SEASMART, follow this link: http://www.seasmart.ecoez.com/
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