RES 308 Draft 01 2008-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WHEREAS, the Hawai`i County Council recognizes that there is a need to more effectively manage the West Hawaii aquarium industry through several different management approaches; and WHEREAS, the West Hawai`i Fisheries Council has recently submitted a number of recommended rule amendments to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, which include a variety of management proposals that will protect the tropical fish resource without unduly restricting the tropical fish trade business: and WHEREAS, these rule amendments include: 1. The implementation of adaptive management of the Fish Replenishment Areas, which specifically allows a reef area at Pebble Beach, South Kona, to be closed to aquarium collecting while opening a similarly sized area at Keauhou for limited collecting (by lottery) thus maintaining a balanced proportion of open -to- closed fish collection areas; 2. The creation of a tropical fish "white list" specifying which species can be collected for the aquarium trade and a bag limit for large reproductively mature yellow tang; and 3. The proposal of Limited Entry regulations for West Hawaii that would ensure participation in fish collection for the aquarium industry requires a high level of skill, experience, and regulatory compliance by fishers, protects the economic value of the reefs and their marine life, and provides economic incentive to fishers to promote good stewardship of the reefs; and WHEREAS, the Hawai`i County Council believes that while this industry contributes to the economic health of the Island of Hawaii, it should not be at the expense of our island resources and other ocean oriented businesses; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that it hereby urges the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, to adopt the package of rule amendments, proposed by the West Hawaii Fisheries Council, which include Limited Entry regulations, adaptive management of Fish Replenishment Areas, and a list specifying which tropical fish are allowed for collection and trade.