The marine aquarium trade is one of the few economic and non-destructive opportunities now available to reef communities in the Pacific. This rapidly growing trade provides the highest rate of return per unit of effort, to collectors (fishers) of any activity on the reef. In the past the problems associated with this trade in the Pacific region include issues such as overexploitation of coral and fish resources, destruction of reef habitat, and limited community involvement. Most of the primary issues involved in reef destruction and resource overexploitation can be traced back to poor resource management and collection practices.

The marine aquarium industry in the US, Europe, Australia and elsewhere is under pressure to reform itself and is taking direct steps to do so. Although it is recognised that the marine aquarium trade has a much smaller impact on a reef than other activities such as coral mining for road construction, or the removal of forest cover in a surrounding watershed and even food fisheries through the use of dynamite and other destructive fishing practices, all extractive activities on a reef contribute somewhat to its overall decline. The marine aquarium industry is seeking and supporting through their buying decisions, sustainability throughout the entire market chain, from reef to retail. Certification programs such as that designed by the Marine Aquarium Council are an attempt to use market forces to support equitable human development and sustainable resource management. The global market demand for sustainably collected organisms is growing rapidly. Economic, social and legislative pressures are increasing this demand.

Papua New Guinea is the largest marine resource area country left in the world without an active formal marine aquarium trade. Due to PNG’s geographic location and extended reef area around the country, there is potential to sustainably, equitably, and profitably develop this industry. In a number of other countries, collection areas and communities have suffered environmental and social problems because the industry’s development was poorly planned, fishers untrained, resources not managed, and income inequitably distributed. Fortunately, PNG’s resource tenure systems lend themselves well to local resource management best practices and equitable ownership supported by sustainable marine aquarium organism collection and husbandry activities, and certified industry-buying decisions.