John H. Tullock, Founder

I was one of the founders in 1989 of Conservation Fisheries, which rears rare and endangered species of North American fresh water fishes for habitat restoration and species recovery projects sponsored by state and Federal government agencies.

I founded the American Marinelife Dealers Association in 1995. The organization is dedicated to sustainable use of marine resources in ornamental aquariums. I served as Executive Director until 1997.

In 1997, I worked as a consultant to the World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC. The project of which I was part resulted in the creation of the Marine Aquarium Council, now an independent, international organization whose mission is the establishment of a sustainable world trade in ornamental marine organisms. Some of the other participants in this project included The Nature Conservancy, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, Ornamental Fish International, and World Bank.

In 1998, I was invited to present an original paper on the global trade in ornamental marine organisms and its environmental impact at the Global Biodiversity Forum, in Montreal, Canada. The forum is held each year to advise world leaders on implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, of which the United States is a signatory.

For more information about my aquarium books, I invite you to check my website: http://jhtullock.home.mindspring.com.

No longer in the aquarium business, I am now officially a "hobbyist" once again. My business interests are confined to writing projects, and Native Sons Nursery (www.native-sons-nursery.com).

Native Sons Nursery produces wildflowers of the eastern United States, including some endangered species. We market locally to retail garden centers, and to retail consumers via mail order and our web site. We are developing a line of plants for garden ponds.

I welcome correspondence from AMDA members, hobbyists, or anyone else regarding issues of concern to the aquarium industry/hobby: jhtullock@mindspring.com.