Certified - American Humane Society

For over four decades, Quality Marine has led by example and set the highest bar in the business of captive aquatics for animal welfare and supply chain transparency. We have witnessed firsthand the evolution of collection and distribution models, and our Short Supply Chain (SSC) approach represents the culmination of decades of experience and innovation in sustainable marine trade. We have been pushing technological limits and sharing our experience with everyone from our collectors to our retail partners to improve the conditions that our livestock experiences at every step of the process. It should have come as no surprise to no one when it was us who became the first aquarium importer, exporter, and wholesaler to become an American Humane Certified Pet Provider.

At its heart, this certification is all about making sure the animals are genuinely well cared for. The American Humane Certified program isn't just a simple checklist; it's a stamp of excellence. The standards were created with top experts in animal behavior and ethics. This means the procedures, everything from how the fish and invertebrates are collected and quarantined to how they’re held and shipped, meet the toughest possible criteria for safety and well-being.

The actual assessments are done by independent veterinarians and animal welfare experts. This impartial oversight is the key to making sure standards are always being followed, giving the supplier a completely objective seal of approval that you don't get by checking your own homework. The American Humane Society is focused on the compassionate care of animals, and when it comes to aquatics, that means digging into the technology and the daily husbandry around here.

We've done business this way because it's the right way to do this job, and we've seen that our partner stores, and the aquarists who buy our livestock from them are more invested than ever in the humane treatment of our aquatic livestock. You want assurance that we are who we say we are. The American Humane Society provides this third-party verification. We know we're the industry leader, and you do too. It's one thing for us to tell you how good we are, and have been, but it's another to have a trusted third party, animal welfare organization tell you it's all true.

We've been saying since our inception that how fish and invertebrates are handled throughout their journey from the ocean (or aquaculture facility) to your door is likely the most important factor in how well they do in your aquarium. It's our core philosophy here. In the end, this trusted certification displays to you our reliance on science based, humane practices. We are committed to the ethical care of our animals and always have been.

We've always been the leader in responsible animal welfare, and our hope is that in becoming the first business of our kind to get this certification, that we influence others to follow our lead. Through our public and validated investment in ethical excellence, we hope to influence others in the industry to follow our lead again if they can, and if they can't, to make the necessary changes to their facility and processes, and in so doing, make the lives of all fish (and their owners) better!