HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0333.003 2010-20128083294786 COUNTY COUNCIL KONA
COUNTY COUNCIL KONA 03:38:09 p.m. 09 -20 -2011
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all SEP 20 PITI 3
County of Hawaii
Resolution No. 130-11
Ladies and gentlemen of the coufttil thank you for your time this afternoon. Let me begin by first on behalf of our opposition for wasting g y st
attempt to pass a bill to ban the Aquarium Trade. This ban has been presented tax
n several different forms
and defeated each time in the past few years, and here we are again running in the same circle.
I am here to testify against proposed resolution number 130-11 which would amend chapter 188 and
add a new section which shall ban the sale of aquatic life for aquarium purposes. This resolution claims
that the aquarium trade industry is "devastating" the aquatic life within the island of Hawaii. Not only do
these claims not have any scientific backing to prove them, but the organization behind these
accusations blatantly mislead the public by providing false and /or misleading information to sway
people who are un- educated in this aquarium industry to believing such things. Many of these claims
can be found on the homepage of htt www.forthefishes or . Some of these claims include the idea
that up to 40% of yellow tangs die before they even reach a hobbyist. This claim (according to
forthefishes.org) was quoted from Robert Fenner of www.wetwebmedia.com. After an extensive search
on WetWebMedia.com I could not find this mortality percentage anywhere. However, I did find an
article posted by Mr. Fenner stating that he not only agrees that the aquarium trade poses little threat
to reef fish population decline, but also provides evidence and data to show that there are other threats
which are directly responsible for declining populations in certain areas. 1 have printed this article and
included it for your review.
Another claim by this organization is that the remaining 60% of yellow tangs caught die within weeks or
months from stress related disease. Again, another outlandish claim that has NO scientific evidence
whatsoever to back it, nor does it make any sense. What industry do you know can survive on a 90 -100%
failure rate?
There has not been a sufficient amount SCIENTIFIC studies performed into possible causes of reef fish
population decline. One MAJOR cause of fish removal from our reefs are invasive species such as the
Blue spotted grouper or "Roi" which is single handedly responsible for an astronomical amount of reef
fish being eaten each year. According to http:/ /pacific - islander blo spot com /2009 /07/savine hawaus
reef- fish.html - just off the Kona Coast, the Roi is responsible for nearly 99 TONS of reef fish eaten
annually— the equivalent of 8.2 MiWON fish per year. These Rol are undoubtedly a serious threat to
our reef fish populations and in my opinion, there needs to be action taken to decrease that threat
immediately. However, instead of organizations performing proper studies and gaining valuable
scientific data, they resort to pointing fingers at an industry in which they do not understand, simply
because they do not agree with the idea of taking wild fish for aquarium use. Organizations such as
ForTheFishes.org spread lies and propaganda in order to gain favor to their side with hopes to ban the
aquarium trade industry because they have a direct moral issue with our industry. This is not and never
has been a resource issue.
Comm. No. 3 33 • 3
Ref. To: oresee
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/G83294786 COUNTY COUNCIL KONA COUNTY COUNCIL KONA
03:38:41 p.m. 09 -20 -2011 3 /5
If, as this resolution clearly states, "the Council of the County of Hawaii desires to protect the reefs of
the state of Hawaii and its aquatic life, and promote increasing reef fish population that will continue to
attract and sustain the tourist industry of our state ", then MUCH more data needs to be collected and
we need to take a SERIOUS look at all options and legitimate threats to reef fish population control. Do
NOT put the livelihood of so many local people at stake simply because the deceiving claims proposed
by un- educated and biased third party organizations.
We as fisherman have families to feed, lives to live, and according to our constitution, the god given
right to the pursuit of happiness. And to take that away from so many of us according to misinformation
and lack of scientific data would be absolutely absurd.
Regards,
Christian Pi'ikaiokalani Kahahawai
Aquarium Fisherman
Kailua Kona Hawaii
3883294786
COUNTY COUNCIL KONA COUNTY COUNCIL KONA 03:38:53 p.m. 09 -20 -2011
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Robert Fenner — www.WetWebMedia.com
There is a tremendous amount of enmity on the Big Island (where virtually all of
Hawaii's yellow tangs originate) between the sport diving/tourist industry and the pet -
fish collection business. The former accuses the latter of significantly reducing fish
populations and damaging the environment. Fish collectors are of the general
consensus that they have little impact. I have to side with them.
According to official records some half a million fishes are exported from the Big
Island annually, of which about half are yellow tangs. Are there less fishes at present
than the last ten, twenty years. Let's take a realistic look at this; five hundred thousand
individual organisms per year is close to 1,370 fishes per day. At a couple of ounces
each this comes out to some one hundred seventy one pounds. Compare this with the
thousands of food fishes, of tens of thousands of pounds, including many that are kept
as ornament (tangs, triggers, Parrotfishes...) taken for human consumption daily.
Also consider; some locals and scientists have suggested that the 1984 to present lava
flows from Kilauea Volcano may be a contributor to losses. The millions of cubic
yards of molten rock include noxious sources of sulfur, nitrogen and hydrogen that go
into solution as runoff and enter directly into the sea as lava. Such flows have added
some four to five hundred new acres of land, reaching the sea.
Other probable sources of mortality are obvious to anyone swimming in the
surrounding waters. The fuel aerosol from planes, washout from boat motors and
street runoff. Oil from road asphalt, soaps and detergents et al. make their way via
storm and sewage outfalls to the sea.
My Conclusion:
I don't accept or understand the animosity betwixt the tourism diving biz and tropical
fish collectors. They need each other, directly. Curiosity and enjoyment of the living
world on the part of one stimulates interest in the other. Secondly, and more important
in the long haul is their need to bind together to challenge some of the prominent
"environmental" control -freak organizations. Several of these mis- and dis- informing
groups would love to shut down both our hobby and sport diving.
The yellow tang is not a diminished or declining resource as a consequence of
aquarium interest. People who want to make a real less negative impact on the
Environment are encouraged to examine their patterns of consumption, skip having
children, campaign against excessive government...
.294786 COUNTY COUNCIL KONA COUNTY COUNCIL KONA 03:39 :26 p.m. 09 -20 -2011 5 /5
The yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens is a wonderful marine "fish tank" species. It
feeds well on all foods, has wide environmental tolerance and disease resistance.
Beginning hobbyists and service accounts have real Kona gold in the yellow tang.
Buy them from Hawaii.
Quoted directly from Robert Fenner's article found here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/yellowtang.htm