Clyde S. Tamaru, Aquaculture Specialist, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Sea Grant College Program, 2525 Correa Road, HIG 205, Honolulu, HI 96822. Phone: 956-2869, Fax: 956-2858 and e-mail ctamaru@hawaii.edu.

Graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Zoology. Obtained his doctorate from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Agriculture, Department Fisheries. He is currently the Principal Investigator of the Sea Grant College Program Aquaculture Extension Project that serves as a bridge between the private sector and research communities in the State of Hawaii.

ABSTRACT: A RESPONSIBLE APPROACH FOR MARINE ORNAMENTAL FISH CULTURE: THE OCEAN RIDER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Clyde S. Tamaru1, Carol Cozzi-Schmarr, Craig Schmarr and John Corbin University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program 2525 Correa Road, HIG 205 Honolulu, HI 96822

Advancements in the artificial propagation of marine fish species have led to the belief that culturing marine ornamental fish can alleviate some of the fishing pressure on wild stocks as well as create small- or large-scale industries. One example is the successful culture of seahorses at commercial scale. Such achievements are timely in that the genus Hippocampus sp. is to be placed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II list in May of 2004. In Hawaii, a collaborative partnership between the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture Aquaculture Development Program, Ocean Rider, Inc. and the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program focuses on the formation of a certification program for cultivated seahorses. The purpose of this program is to be able to identify and track through the chain of custody seahorses which have been bred in captivity by qualified aquaculture companies. Further, these animals would be certified by the State of Hawaii that they were cultured using a best management program and tagged on the farm of origin listed in the certificate To qualify:

• The farm/grower must be a bonafide business in the State of Hawaii duly registered as a business, with a General Excise Tax license from the Department of Taxation.
• The site where the seahorses are being cultured must be listed in the application for certification, if different from the company's business address.
• The company must process and own a minimum of 50 seahorses that were used as a founder stock for the seahorses being certified as cultured.
• Any seahorse produced by captive breeding on the farm being certified must be listed in the inventory submitted with the application for certification, even though it may not be offered for sale.
• Company registration must be renewed annually with the State Aquaculture Development Program and is not transferable to a new owner of another business.
• The company must have a best management plan that accounts for discharging of water into the ocean, insures that there are no accidental releases into the local waters, focuses on production technologies that produce healthy seahorses and does NOT rely on the collection of broodstock from the wild to sustain a breeding program.
• Farms are subject to inspection and verification visits by the State of Aquaculture Development Program or its designated representatives (e.g., UH Sea Grant Extension Service).

A major part of the certification process would depend on the ability to distinguish between cultured versus wild caught seahorses. Two types of tags, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT, BioMark) tags and Coded Wire Tags (CWT, Northwest Marine Technologies) were tested on cultured seahorses (Ocean Rider Mustangs ®) at various body sizes. The significance of the results in relation to the development of the certification program is also to be discussed.