Aquarium Habitat

[Anonymous]

This is Marivi's company right? Where do her fish end up? It's my understanding that Mary and Steve are the only 100% "net caught" importers. Last week Marivi had the ubiquitous five baby triggers on her list. If Mary didn't get them, where did they go?

 

[JennM]

I'm sure Marivi sells to more than 2 US Importers.

Besides, I'm sure Kyle got them

Jenn

 

[Anonymous]

I'm sure Marivi sells to more than 2 US Importers.

But that's my point. Isn't that the same thing they are complaining about MAC doing? ie allowing a facilty to mix her 100% net caught fish in with their 100% cyanide caught fish? If she doesn't sell all her fish to Mary or Steve, that means some wholesaler somewhere has a good source for net caught fish. And why would Marivi bother putting a net caught trigger on her list for $15 dollars if she didn't think she could sell it to somebody for that price?

 

[JennM]

I'm sure Marivi sells to more than 2 US Importers.

But that's my point. Isn't that the same thing they are complaining about MAC doing? ie allowing a facilty to mix her 100% net caught fish in with their 100% cyanide caught fish? If she doesn't sell all her fish to Mary or Steve, that means some wholesaler somewhere has a good source for net caught fish. And why would Marivi bother putting a net caught trigger on her list for $15 dollars if she didn't think she could sell it to somebody for that price?

Well Marivi can hardly control what the other buyers of her fish do. Chances are, if she has the trigger for $15 and a "mixing" buyer sees them on another list for less, he/she is going to buy the ones that are less (simple economics 101). If there were none available, then Marivi's price would be more attractive, because some are better than none...

Similarly, Steve & Mary can't control what buyers of their fish do - LFS "X" can purchase from Steve or Mary or both, as well as "wholesaler Y from 104th street" and mix those fish too - as long as they along that chain aren't claiming some sort of guarantee or "certified" livestock when selling to the next link in the chain, there's nothing wrong with that. As it is, we who sell what we believe are all net-caught have no iron-clad guarantee, but what I tell my customers is that I have what I believe to be net caught fish, and I have had no evidence to the contrary. Not a guarantee, rather an "assurance".

Likewise, I see nothing wrong with selling "MAC Certified" fish on down the line if the certification is taken off before it leaves the MAC chain The problem lies in touting it as certified, but coming from a non-certified facility, such as we have seen already with non-certified LFS advertising certified fish to the hobbyist. (Has that problem been fixed yet?) Putting a certification on an invoice that goes to a non-certified facility is leaving the problem unresolved, and opening the door to inappropriate use of the label.

For all I know, some of the fish I buy that originated from Marivi's facility, could have been MAC certified at some point, but because I'm not dealing with certified wholesalers, I buy just "plain generic" fish...

Jenn

 

[mkirda]

where did they go?

Rover,

Really, it could have been anywhere.
I know one of her customers is AM (A&M?) in Lansing, MI.
The owner buys lots of her fish, not only MAC certified fish.
She had no customers in Chicago, unfortunately for me...
I could get them fairly easily, but it would involve a trip out to Kalamazoo, MI.

Regards.
Mike Kirda

 

[PeterIMA]

Why should Marivi be selling her MAC Certified fish to Mary and Steve? Their companies are not MAC Certified. If I were the MAC, I would insist that the limited supply of MAC Certified fish be sold to MAC-Certified importers/wholesalers. They in turn should give priority to the MAC-Certified Retailers. Since there is a very limited supply of MAC Certified fish this becomes especially important (to the MAC). Some of the MAC-Certified fish are reaching non-MAC Certified retailers. Even worse are those retailers who "claim" to have MAC-Certified fish but don't and are not MAC Certified.

Marivi's company has a good reputation because it sells net-caught fish from non-MAC Certified sources. I have no problem with Aquarium Habitat selling these fish (about 94% of what she exports) to companies such as those owned by Mary Middlebrook and Steve Robinson.

Lets not confuse the MAC-Certified fish with the non-MAC Certified net-caught fish. Lets not confuse those who sell (exporters and importers) 100% net-caught from those that don't.

Peter Rubec

 

[flameangel1]

May get flamed for this but am goijng to speak my mind anyway.
I do not now or ever intend to be MAC certified !!!
That certification means nothing to me as to guaranteed net caught or clean or anything else, but does tell me that some half knowledged GROUP of people, controls how I do things and their current standards are way below mine.

What I do want is CLEAN healthy fish and hopefully a variety of them.
I do not want to be part of killing anything in that request and quest either.
In my opinion, teaching, supplies,helping to make the fish supply net caught and clean and improving the shipping/handling process is all that is important and however we can encourage and support those INDIVIDUALS (not pencil pushing white collars NGO's ), WE SHOULD !!!!
This constant harping on MAC and counting on them to take care of the fish supply correctly, is and has been a waste of time and energy.
Lets just support those that really can and WANT to , make a difference !!!!!!