Maarssen, 27 May 2008

OFI HONORS MARSHALL MEYERS

On 24 May 2008 the OFI Award 2008 was presented by the president of the Ornamental Fish International, Gerald Bassleer, to Mr. Marshall Meyers, the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC).

The OFI award was launched in 2005 in Singapore to honour people, companies or organizations who have contributed to the good of the ornamental aquatic industry.

At the end of the EPO Conference on pet import legislation, president of OFI, Dr. Gerald Bassleer handed Mr. N. Marshall Meyers LL.B., the award for his exemplary work on behalf of this industry. Mr Meyers over the past 30 years has represented the pet industry and been instrumental in the regulatory process as well as in aspects of animal welfare, humane transportation of animals, endangered species, injurious wildlife, invasive species, wildlife regulations, international regulation of the import/export of animals and other animal related issues before international bodies (e.g. CITES), US and European Union, other governments and local legislative and regulatory entities.

One of his first achievements was to ensure the continuation of the ornamental aquatic industry in the USA.. Around 1972, the US Fish and Wildlife Service sought to ban importation of all non-native species unless the pet industry could demonstrate that their importation would not injure the environment, agriculture, or humans.  The newly created PIJAC asked Mr. Meyers to take on that battle.  He forced the government into adopting a policy that any prohibition has to be science-based, a policy that has survived the test of time.

Mr Meyers’s expertise and council is much sought after. This has resulted in invitations to participate in numerous taskforces, conferences, regulatory and legislative councils as well as positions on boards of many bodies dealing with pet issues

For his contributions he is well respected and influential voice in the industry, and has therefore been honoured by OFI with the OFI Award 2008.

Photo’s of the presentation by Jamie Reaser of PIJAC can be downloaded from the OFI website: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4.

More information: secretariat@ofish.org or www.ofish.org.