HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0880.006 2008-2010PEKING DESIGNS
73 -4492 KOHANAIKI ROAD # 9
KAIL.UA KONA, HAWAII 96740
perino(ahawaii.rr.com
PHONE 808 325 -5919
FAX 808 325 -6262
August 2, 2010
Committee Chair: Mr. Enriques and Committee Members
Food and Energy Sustainability Committee
Thank you for allowing me to testify this morning regarding
sustainable fisheries management in West Hawaii.
Robert Fenner, Biologist, Aquarium Fish Hobbyist, and author
of nine books, including "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"
has been widely misquoted and taken out of context by those in
the sport diving industry. I would like to correct some of these
mis- statements.
Much has been made of the claim, attributed to Mr. Fenner, that
99% of Hawaiian aquarium fish die or do not survive for a year.
What Mr. Fenner actually said was that the vast majority of ALL
marine fish life does not survive because it is "swept out to
unsuitable circumstance by tides, currents, consumed by
predators, or starved for lack of nutrient within a year". None
of these statistics refer to any collection activity whatsoever.
The claim that 99% of collected aquarium fish die within a year
is patently false and a complete distortion of Mr. Fenner's
comments.
Mr. Fenner states in another publication entitled "Collecting
Marines the Aloha Way ", that he knows collectors both in Kona
and on Oahu, and "found them to be excellent divers, and
careful stewards of the resource in Hawaii. The planet will not
be better for curtailing the trade in ornamentals there ".
Further, he states that the "resource is well managed in Kona,
Coate. No. cg
Ref. To: SL
Ref. Date._AUG n 2 20jn
and does a huge bit of good on the positive side in bringing
awareness to the general public and encouraging intelligent,
sustainable use of resources around the world ". The point
here, is that West Hawaii collection techniques, handling,
storage and shipping is the benchmark for the rest of the world
because of how this resource is managed by the state of
Hawaii, in the most productive, sustainable, and non polluting
manner.
As for the assertion that yellow tang live in the wild for forty
years, Fenner takes real issue with this, and states that he
"would be very surprised if the percentage surviving in the wild
were greater" than specimens in hobbyists care. According to
Mr. Fenner, an ornamental fish living as long as ten years in the
wild would be exceedingly rare.
DAR currently lists 180 species of fish for aquarium trade
collection of which 36 are endemic. This would mean that 20%
of these collectable species are endemic. The facts do not
support the claim being made that 45% of reef fish are endemic
species.
The cherry picking of bits of bad news, stringing it all together,
and distorting supporting data about tropical fish collecting,
and hoping no one will spot the flaws has been endless. This
results in vague statements being made. For instance, the
removal of cleaner fishes may result in higher parasite load on
other reef fishes.
While this might happen or could happen, l also might or could
win the lottery, but it doesn't mean either of these things is
likely, or will occur with any certainty or predictability.
Judith Perino