2019 07-30 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawai’i Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – July 30, 2019 JK: No. It was all done with Aquatic Resources – that used to be – before it was a marine reserve – it was an area designated as a fish replenishment area where those boundaries prevented the take of aquarium fish. Aquarium fish – fish feeding and illegal gill nets. TN: Were there studies that you literally saw – you witnessed for your own eyes that they showed you that that area needed to be reserved. Was there a depletion count – was there a count – did you see the reports that was done prior to it becoming a marine reserve? JK: For that – the whole purpose of that fish replenishment area and the surveys that was conducted was only looking at aquarium fish – looking at the populations of aquarium fish. So in... TN: No. Did you actually see the studies that showed that there was a depletion? The count of fish that they said they did - which I never saw a study but they say there was a study – they never shared the study – so I was wondering if you had the opportunity to see those studies? Or ask the question... JK: I never seen the studies... TN: Are they opening the studies they’re now doing to the group? Have you seen any current studies? JK: Of the current count now, yeah. TN: They shared the studies with you folks… JK: Yes. TN: So is that public record or is that private? JK: I think it’s public record? TN: Can you request that? JK: I can look into that’s the study that was made – the counts that were made two years after the reserve was implemented. TN: Yes. So initially the DAR was supposed to have done the survey because it was a fish replenishment area so did DAR division do any studies prior to it becoming a marine reserve cause I never saw any studies. JK: No, - we just did those counts for aquarium fish because the WHAF program – West Hawaii Aquarium Fish, yeah... 4