National Marine Aquarium Fishery Management and Development Plan 2015.

The National Marine Aquarium Fishery Management and Development Plan aims at providing social, economic and ecologically sustainable use, development and management of marine aquarium organisms and establishing an effective, beneficial and enforceable management framework for the marine aquarium trade in PNG. This Plan applies to: (I) the managed fishery for all species of fish, invertebrates, live corals and marine aquarium organisms that are collected, sold and/or exported live for the marine aquarium trade, and (II) all forms of collecting, aquaculture and facilities for holding live marine aquarium organisms, including handling, packing, transport and shipping of these marine aquarium organisms.
The social and economic well-being of coastal and island communities in PNG will be improved through the development of a sustainable marine aquarium fishery. A precautionary approach will be applied to the management of all marine aquarium organisms, non-target, associated and dependent species, to minimize impact on the marine environment, taking into account the best scientific evidence available on the status of the stocks. Ecosystem approach to fisheries management principal will be integrated into the Plan so as to ensure the ecological sustainability, economic viability and effective management of the marine aquarium organisms and their related habitats. A consultative process will be used to establish a management system and framework for the control and governance of all marine aquarium activities. Best practices will be conducted in the marine aquarium fishery and trade. The collection, sales and exports of marine aquarium organisms will be controlled and monitored. Aquaculture will be promoted as a sustainable production method for marine aquarium organisms. Measures will be undertaken to avoid and help manage social and commercial conflicts among different users of areas where marine aquarium organisms are found.
The collection effort will be limited and controlled through the establishment of licensing conditions. In order to ensure sustainability of marine aquarium organism populations, restrictions will be imposed on the amount of collection activity and on particular collection techniques or methods that are considered detrimental to the sustainability of marine aquarium organism populations. The sustainable management of the marine aquarium fishery will be supported by establishing an ongoing program of monitoring the trade as well as strengthening scientific information collection. Biological field surveys will be conducted to collect fishery independent data, and advice on species specific total allowable catches will be provided where applicable for a given Fishery Collection Area. The use of community-based approaches to managing marine aquarium organisms and collecting activities will be promoted. An effective public awareness, education, and outreach program will be carried out to inform the wider community and stakeholders on the marine aquarium fishery.