HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0730.055 2008-2010Hawai'i County Council 9 AM Thursday September 9, 2010, Hilo
Support Res. 308 -10
Cory H arden, Sierra Club, Box 1137, Hilo, Hawai'i 96721 mhninterpac.net 808 - 968 -8965
Thank you to Mr. Hoffmann for introducing this resolution urging Department of Land and Natural
Resources (DLNR) to adopt rules for sustainable management of West Hawai'i's aquarium fishery. We
support it as a first step.
Maui County just passed a bill requiring collectors to have a County permit as well as a State permit;
collect only in allowed areas; and follow State animal cruelty laws. Inhumane treatment means more dead
fish, and even more fish taken to replace them. We urge this Council to follow Maui's lead.
Stonger collecting regulations are sorely needed. There are no limits on the number of permits issued or
the amount of fish collected. There is no useful data in collection reports because they are so inaccurate,
according to DLNR. And "only two - thirds of the state's 3,200 licensed commercial marine fishers, which
includes tropical fish collectors, were complying with catch report requirements..." DLNR said recently.
When DLNR started cracking down on catch reports in 2009, they issued about 1,200 fines statewide in
the first month. [DLNR chief defends fishery management, West Hawai'i Today, 2 12 - 10]
At Honaunau, in 20 years, bluestripe butterfly fish are gone, teardrop butterfly fish are almost gone, and
butterfly fish went down almost 70 %. At Puako, in 25 years, bluestripe butterfly fish and teardrop butterfly
fish are almost gone, and butterfly fish went down 80 %. Sierra Club members observe that fish numbers
are dropping at Pebble Beach, South Kona.
Collectors blame invasive predators, pollution, and other factors. Regardless- -why add collecting to the
pressure on these fish?
There are few controls to prevent collectors from damaging coral by kneeling on it, setting nets on it,
pounding it to scare fish into nets, and breaking it to find hidden fish. They can legally take fish before
they are old enough to reproduce. They break animal cruelty laws by piercing swim bladders and starving
fish while they are shipped. More than half the fish die in a week. Half of Hawai'i's top 20 aquarium fish
are not guaranteed to "arrive alive." They are treated as disposable and used to drive sales of pricy tanks,
lights, and chemicals. This despite the fact that most fish collected from Hawai'i are found nowhere else
on earth. Many people question how this follows the Hawaiian values of asking permission before fishing,
taking only what you need, sharing, and honoring what is received.
We hope that collectors can make a living in more sustainable pursuits like reef tourism, and that our
County will protect our island's resources before it's too late.
Comm No 730.x5"
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