Coral Magazine - Interview w/ Chris Buerner

Article from the October/November 2005, Anemonefishes issue of Coral Magazine

Interview: Tim Hayes Talks with Chris Buerner

Back in June of this year, I came over to the United States from England to attend the International Marine Aquarium Conference (IMAC) in Chicago. To make the most of my trip to the States, I took the opportunity to visit the heartland of the U.S. marine industry in Los Angeles, California. This, of course, meant a visit to 104th Street, home to most of Californias marine livestock importers. During my visit, I was fortunate enough to secure an interview with Chris Buerner, president of Quality marine, one of the largest saltwater fish and invertebrate distributors in the U.S.

CORAL: Please tell us a little about Quality Marine, its position in the U.S marketplace and how it serves the hobby.

CHRIS BUERNER: Quality Marine was founded back in 1981. Since then, it has become one of the leading marine livestock wholesalers in the U.S., and is now one of the largest. In the early 1980s, the emphasis was very much on fish but as the hobby progressed through the late 80s into reef tanks, saw the advent of the mini-reef in the early 90s, up to the present day, the proportion of fish to invertebrates has gradually changed form around 80 to 90 percent fish to the current situation, where fish represent more like 55 to 60 percent with invertebrates having increased to 40 to 45 percent of the market. This is a reflection on the leaps and bounds that hobbyists in the States, and around the world, have made in terms of improving husbandry techniques and learning how to replicate suitable habitats for mini-reef species. We are now able to keep and propagate a vast range of invertebrates species previously thought impossible to keep in captivity.

Along with the livestock, the company is also a supplier and distributor of dry goods and has always been something of a pioneer when it comes to making new products commercially available. This includes introducing the Phillips Actinic TL 03 bulb to the trade, a product that enables many reef keepers to experience fluorescence in coral species for the first time: and in promoting the use of protein skimmers and the use of ozone, through its connection with the German Company, Sander.

CORAL: What do you think makes Quality Marine stand out from other wholesales?

CHRIS BUERNER: With out exception, Quality Marine always tries to be the best. The success of the hobbyist and, in turn, the industry is dependent on healthy livestock and good information, plus a ready supply of a variety of interesting species to nurture the hobbyists interest. To this end, we look to areas where we can get different or new species, ones not commonly in the trade, and we seek out supply lines that handle their fish and invertebrates in careful manner. One of the keys to healthy livestock is the care exhibited by our supplier during the process of collection and transportation. We make sure the divers are well trained, both for their own safety, and to ensure that there is a sustainable harvest of marine animals from their collection areas for decades to come, without any impact on the habitat. In contrast, some of the poorly run collection practice is something more akin to a slash and burn technique, moving from one part of the reef to another, damaging the reef, then moving on, leaving a habitat that then needs plenty of time to recover before collection can resume.

Each week we receive 20 to 30 shipments of livestock from around the globe. We have half a dozen or so suppliers we work with who are exclusive to us, which gives us a chance to be able to continuously improve and refine our handling practices, all the way from the point of collection to our facility here, often putting immediate profit second to a long-term approach to developing a supply line. We pay fair value for the animals we bring in to ensure that our suppliers can afford to pay good attention to the husbandry required while the animals are in their care. We believe that there are very few corners that can be cut to save costs without affecting the quality of the livestock.

CORAL: Quality marine was one of the first wholesalers to sign up for Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) certification. Please tell us what this means to your company and how you see the role of MAC in the future development of the marine aquarium hobby.

CHRIS BUERNER: We believe that MAC stands for the right values that the industry should graduate toward for the benefit of the hobby, the trade and the reefs. Through its efforts, MAC has the ability to effect change in the trade the hobby, the trade itself and the environment, then its a positive one.

MAC is especially important when it comes to helping protect the trade and income of small island economies. Training the villagers and divers to collect in a sustainable manner, so they can harvest their resources for the future, and ensuring that industry operators are working responsibly and supporting the collectors, are all immensely important goals. Its also vital to educate hobbyists and encourage them to support sustainable initiatives, such as those promoted by MAC through its Certification system of MAC International Standards. One example of the importance of nurturing the fish throughout the chain of supply, as per MAC, is the fact that feeding can be fixed at the point of collection, resulting in fishes that can be difficult to get to feed further along the chain or in the aquarium. Its important to have continuity in the way animals are handled all along the chain.

We also have to recognize that MAC can act as a buffer between the trade and any government legislation that might negatively affect the industry in the future, by helping legislators understand that the trade can be viable and operate in a responsible manner, demonstrating the value of the industry and hobby to conservation and education.

CORAL: Do you think this may result in more expensive fish for the hobbyist?

CHRIS BUERNER: I hope not. Although there may be a modest surcharge on MAC-certified fish, it neednt make its way through to the hobbyist. Currently, the trade takes mortalities into account when setting its prices; a retailers margins are set so as to cover their losses that are due to fish mortality. With better, healthier livestock, fewer fish will need to be collected, and fewer fish will die during their time in the chain of supply. This should result in less need for the existing margins. We, for example, have the smallest gross margin on the fish we have the least trouble with. These are fish sourced through the supply lines that we have a close relationship with, and where we have minimal or zero mortalities; there is just no need for a higher margin in this situation when the goal is to present the hobbyist with a fairly priced fish.

CORAL: While touring your facility, I noticed there were a number of species being held, both fishes and invertebrates, that have a reputation within the hobby of being difficult, if not impossible, to keep. Could you please comment on your policies when it comes to animals like these?

CHRIS BUERNER: At Quality Marine, were always specific about what we order, but with some supply lines were obligated to purchase all of the divers collection. Consequently, we occasionally receive fishes or coral that have not been ordered. In these cases, its our practice to reprimand the exported and point out to them that these are species that we dont want collected, in an effort to prevent a recurrence. We make a practice of never buying coral feeding butterflyfishes, blue ringed octopuses and nudibranchs, with exception of those that serve a certain purpose in the aquarium.

Ultimately, the hobbyist controls the supply if theres a demand at the hobby level for certain species it will invariably end up in the trade. Proper education of the hobbyist is paramount. Theres a responsibility on behalf of the retail store not to stock unsuitable fish or offer them for sale, even though they may be beautiful. The responsibility for hobbyist education is in the hands of the stores, the Internet, and magazine articles. Certain species we dont handle, even though theres a demand for them the blue ringed octopus is a perfect example.

This gets into the issue of whether there should be an unsuitable species list. Weve learned to replicate the habitat of a variety of species, whether fish or invertebrates, so that were more successful than ever at handling a broader range of species. Some fish that are notorious as poor feeders in the trade are fed very easily at the point of export, but then that willingness to take prepared foods changes as that fish is handled through the chain. New foods are always being developed and techniques for handling livestock are always changing; were getting better at holding more and more species. Excluding things from the trade through legislation or rule will slow development in these areas.

Education is the more important area to focus on. Encouraging people to buy the correct livestock for the specific habitat theyve created is the more responsible approach. In time, as a hobbyist becomes more advance and willing to replicate the habitat or feeding requirements of a specific species, he or she should have the opportunity to handle that species. A good example of this is the harlequin shrimp, a beautiful and unusual animal that has very specific feeding requirements (i.e., it is an obligate feeder on sea stars). If a hobbyist is not willing to feed this shrimp sea stars on a regular basis, then the shrimp will perish. Many hobbyists keep harlequin shrimp in perfect health and are fascinated by the process by which they eat chocolate chip sea stars.

With many of the fishes that have a reputation for feeding poorly in captivity, the problem can come down to the fish, where theyve been sourced from and how theyve been handled. Ive seen freshly collected Moorish idols take flake food, whereas weve had the same fish from other sources that wont take live brine or anything. It all has to do with the fish themselves if theyre stressed along the way its an uphill battle.

Again, its all about education. Dont attempt to keep livestock that youve not got the experience needed to successfully maintain.

CORAL: What are your views on maricultured species and their role in the industry/hobby?

CRISH BUERNER: Invertebrates, clams and corals are being maricultured around the world. A lot of effort is being made in this area, effort that we support. Over time, more and more species will be maricultured. If they are cultured in the correct environment theyll do well in the aquarium, but if theyre cultured in the wrong environment they wont be as successful. Certain species being cultured in very, very, shallow water may have higher light intensity requirements than most hobbyists can readily provide.

The number of fish species currently being raised is still relatively low, representing only a couple of percent of the trade at best. Various species of anemonefishes and dottybacks are probably the most common, with some of the higher value Centropyge species now becoming available; lower value Centropyge species are not yet financially viable due to the amount of work involved and the long grow out period, although this may change as the technology improves. In Asia, some ornamental species are commonly bred for food, so a number of different groupers make their way into the trade, but due to their rapid growth and potential size they dont make for ideal tank inhabitants.

These efforts should be supported, with the effort focusing on more suitable tank species. Its really a supply and demand issue, and as long as maricultured species remain more expensive to produce than wild ones, growth will be slow. But, where demand outstrips supply, as with the higher value Centropyge species, it can become viable.

CORAL: Could you elaborate on the role of transshipping in the U.S and how it fits into the trade overall?

CHRIS BUERNER: Transshipping has a place in the U.S for geographically challenged wholesalers that are limited to direct importation options and who are equipped to handle a shipment that has been in transit for many, many hours. To succeed, they have to develop a relationship with an importer at a major point of entry Miami, Los Angeles or New York to expedite those shipments from the point of entry to their specific area.

Over the last 15 years, there has been a trend toward transshipping direct to retailers; more so in recent years with live rock and coral. Retail stores are more successful in those areas, as rock and coral can better handle the longer transit times. Buying transship mainly with fish, but also with corals, creates a condition where the store doesnt necessarily receive what it ordered, but rather, what the exporter has chosen to pack in the box. This again brings up the question of possibly unsuitable species being brought in. The retailer doesnt have the luxury of a wholesaler processing the shipment, acclimating it properly, feeding the stock, holding it in a healthy environment and having the services of a salesperson to help advice on choice of stock. Some retailers are willing to forgo there advantages to save a certain percentage, but true savings are hard to quantify, specifically with fish where longer transit time without shipment processing or re-oxygenating and acclimation translates into higher mortality.

Theres definitely a higher mortality for fishes due to skill levels. We have a tag line on our ads here, Get what you expect. We dont want our customer to have surprises when they open the box, if they order a medium they should get a medium or if they order a blue they should get a blue. When you buy transship it can all be on the roll of the dice!

CORAL: What effects do you see the industry having on the reefs- both good and bad?

CHRIS BUERNER: Without a doubt, our industry has had an impact on coral reefs around the globe in certain areas. Yet, in many other areas where we operate, the impact the industry has on the reefs is difficult to quantify, as it is so negligible. Corals are capable of growing and recovering very quickly. They are part of a very old, ever changing ecosystem that is constantly being subjected to extreme events. Where the industry operated responsibly there is no damage to the reef. The biggest dangers from the industry come from irresponsible collection using either cyanide, which is more of a danger to the habitat than to the fish, or from other forms of destructive collection, for example, where large mother colonies are collected for fragmentation by the mariculture industry. Cyanide is still being used, but due to the scrutiny it attracts it is in decrease. Im hopeful its a practice that will price itself out of existence, due to the increased cost involved that are making net-caught fish a more attractive proposition.

The positive effect of the industry is that it adds to the value of the reefs for the local people. The value per pound of fish collected for the aquarium hobby is far greater than that for food fish. By educating the villagers about how to sustainably manage their reefs and making it an important source of income, care of the reefs is encouraged at a local level. Although in its early days, the industry is becoming involved in active reef regeneration projects in areas that have been hurricane or storm damaged where there have been bleaching events or the over-harvesting of animals.

CORAL: How do you see the current state of the industry/hobby? Are we healthy?

CHRIS BUERNER: The hobby is getting healthier and healthier all the time. The hobbyist has an incredible choice of livestock today, and the technology is more attainable, with good quality products being marketed at fair prices. Hobbyist can easily assemble a habitat to house fish, invertebrates and corals successfully, and to get invertebrates to reproduce and coral to grow. Its the best time weve ever had. As our knowledge has increased it has become consistently easier to keep species once thought difficult. Lighting has made a great contribution here. Plus more and more information is now being documented and shared through the quality of magazines and books now available and, of course, the Internet has had a big impact in helping share this knowledge.

As a consequence of all this, the industry has become healthier and as a result is growing. As hobbyists are becoming more educated and aware they are buying more intelligently, the retail stores are buying according to the demand and, ultimately, we as importers are following these trends, and supporting them by requesting these species from the exporters and collectors.

CORAL: What are you seeing as popular trends at the moment?

CHRIS BUERNER: One of the biggest trends is the nano reef craze, where smaller aquariums are becoming extraordinarily popular. Theres a big demand for small commensal shrimps and gobies, and other symbiotic species, such as anemone-fishes and anemones, harlequin shrimps, anemone shrimps and so on. These are all small species that would otherwise be lost in larger aquariums. Much more can be learned about these species by keeping and enjoying them in these smaller aquariums. On the back of this, were also starting to see demand for smaller corals and invertebrates.

CORAL: Please tell us what you see for the future of our hobby.

CHRIS BUERNER: I see the hobby and, in turn, the industry, as having a bright future. I expect to see more maricultured species become available, aquaculture to grow and progress, and to see the areas given over to mariculture around the world increase. Better products will become available in terms of coral species that will do well in captivity under moderate lighting requirements.

Provided that the industry bands together and vows to operate responsibly within reasonable parameters, it should be able to limit the amount of scrutiny and potential legislation that might otherwise shut the trade down. As long as the hobby and industry operate in a responsible manner, well be able to enjoy our marine aquariums for many years to come.

CORAL: Thanks, Chris, for sharing your thoughts on the hobby, and explaining a little about how the whole unseen business of importing and wholesaling operates.