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Murashige, Laura
From: Patrice Heller [dive @pacificrimdivers.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 3:36 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Resolution 363 -10
Aloha and thank you for hearing my testimony. I appreciate your time and consideration.
When my small island tourism business started to slow down with the slumping economy, and my husband got
laid off from his job, we had to tighten our belts a bit. That meant that examining our budget and curtailing our
spending was in order. The first areas we cut were the most obvious wastes of our financial resources. No
matter how enjoyable, $5 coffees, $30 movies and dining out were the first things to go. They severely depleted
our resources without much real benefit. Yes, entertainment is a benefit but at our house it didn't outweigh the
need to conserve our resources through this tough financial time. Now if we do enjoy those things they are strictly
regulated, and some of them are just distant memories. The benefit of course is that our $ resources now stretch
to the end of the month. When things improve, we will again be able to enjoy some of those things, but until
then...it's a strict moritorium at our house.
I consider our marine environment to be a similar resource. Left to repopulate itself, we will see improvement and
again we may be able to enjoy using this resource as a consumable commodity. Until then, we would be wise to
make certain most of our use has little impact on our resource. If that means regulation then, so be it. If that
means curtailing our use completely until we see our resources improve then I'm for that as well.
Sadly, the lowered economy means many individuals that would not normally be collecting have returned to the
trade. Our fish populations are more at risk right now than they have ever been. Now is definitely the time
to consider our resources and implement measures that will make them last. Done with care, we will all feel the
rewards of tightening our belts. There will be more fish for all to enjoy.
I am in support of Resolution 363 -10. Thank you for considering my testimony.
Patrice Heller
Pacific Rim Divers
808 334 -1750
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Ref. Date JUL 2 0 2010
7/19/2010