HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0862.054 2008-2010 Murashige, Laura
From: Eric Cohen [sdcfish @aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 5:51 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us ^ >-,
Subject: Proposal to Ban the Aquarium Industry in Hawaii
Dear Council,
I am writing you today to share with you my feelings and experiences regardina,the`
aquarium industry in Hawaii and abroad. -► "
I have lived in Hawaii during the previous meetings when the first closures ant management
plan was put in place approximately 10 years ago. I also operated a Tropical Fish export
business, along with a Los Angeles based Tropical Fish Wholesale business Sea Dwelling
Creatures, Inc. founded in 1993.
I have been on the board of directors of Reef Check for nearly 10 years, a non - profit
organization dedicated to the education and conservation of coral reefs around the world.
My personal goals regarding the Aquarium Industry have always been to help better manage
the industry and show that we are responsible, and can all benefit from a sustainably run
fishing industry.
In recent years, I have met and heard some of the people behind a proposed ban on the
industry, which have come mainly from Dive Industry people that have a personal agenda or
personally vendetta against us. Thanks to science and the good people in charge of making
policies and laws, the industry has been allowed to continue within a more structured
situation.
From what I have heard, the closures along the Kona coastline have greatly improved the
fish resource, and it has shown well on the fish side of things with more fish on the
reefs than the industry would ever know what to do with. A shrinking industry due to the
economy and the bursting of the economic bubble has decreased the demand, while the
resource has been given the extra support to thrive.
I know that my name and comments I have made to people such as Rene Umberger, in good
faith and with an open mind, have come back to haunt me, and she has taken advantage of
the comments I have made her and simply LIED to many people during council meetings to
push her personal agenda through in the hopes of banning an industry she knows or cares
nothing about. I was very disappointed to know that she didn't take my friendliness to
heart and only exaggerated the words I said to her in order to make it look like there is
something wrong that needs to be fixed.
Snorkel Bob Winters is another person who has constantly lied about the number of fish
being exported to make it seem like we are taking millions of fish off the reef. Thanks
to his insensible nature, his lies and exaggerations have been easily identified. I am
not sure why he is so passionate about putting the industry down, but both Umberger and
Winters should not be given credibility for what they are trying to do. I appreciate the
concern, but not the manner in which they are trying to achieve their goals.
I have always supported a managed fishery, and have proposed a more sensible plan that
would allow the industry to continue under a science based program, allowing the industry
to continue within a science based guideline. I have helped develop a program along with
Reef Check that would best manage the fishery as it would work within a quota system.
Yearly monitoring of the reefs and fish counts would determine how many fish would be able
to be collected in a sustainable manner.
Dr. Bill Walsh of the DLNR knows of this plan, and we have just recently discussed the
possibility of implementing such a plan. Similar to the "Dolphin- Safe - Tuna" label, I hope
to brand a sustainably managed aquarium product that consumers and public will all know
that the aquarium fish they purchase were collected in a safe and environmentally
sustainable manner. ��
Comm. No.
1 Ref. To; F[ H
Ref. Date JUL 2 0 70111
Currently, there is no science based reason to close an industry that millions of people
around the world enjoy, and to simply ban an industry because of the personal passions of
a few, would be not only unfair, but criminal.
I trust that the council will continue to be diplomatic in the discussions and find a
reasonable solution. I am grateful to have the opportunity to help create a better
industry as we have done responsibly over the last 20 years, improving the standard and
survivability of the aquarium animals that we love and enjoy.
Please feel free to reach me for comment at sdcfish @aol.com, my office at 310 676 -9697 x
234 or my cell phone 818 269 -8903.
Thanks again for your time and consideration,
Eric Cohen
Co -owner Sea Dwelling Creatures, Inc.
www.seadwelling.com
Sent from my iPad:)
Have a Great Day:)
Eric Cohen
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