HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0333.156 2010-2012Murashige, Laura
COUNTY CLERK
From: Matthew Ross [matt.htfa @gmail.com] 9 t 9
Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 10:54 PM 7011 OCT — 0' MI
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony from Dr. John E. Randall in opposition to Resolution 130 -11, for Oct. 5 council
meeting
Attachments:
Opposition to Resolution 140.doc
Opposition to
Resolution 140.d...
I was asked to forward this to the county council by Dr. John E.
Randall from the Bishop Museum. The attached file is testimony in opposition to
Resolution 130 -11, relating to aquarium fish, at the Oct. 5 county council meeting.
Forwarded message
From: John E. Randall <jackr @hawaii.rr.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 3:11 PM
Subject: revised opposition
To: Matthew Ross <matt.htfa @gmail.com>
Cc: brian bowen <bbowen @hawaii.edu >, Andrew Rossiter <andrewro @hawaii.edu>
Matt:
I made a few improvements.
Aloha, Jack
1
Comm. No.
Ref. To: Prs n4' /
Ref. Dote 2A
I oppose Resolution 140 -11 banning the sale of aquatic life
to the aquarium trade. Putting about 30 aquarium fish
collectors in the County of Hawai'i out of work will not
achieve the objectives of this resolution. It will, in
fact, have a negative impact. Live Hawaiian fishes are
exported around the world. One- fourth of our reef and shore
fishes are found nowhere else, the highest percentage of
endemism. Many people come to our state to see Hawaiian
fishes and other unique marine life as divers or
snorkelers, or to view them at the Waikiki Aquarium, Sea
Life Park, or the Maui Ocean Center. In short, the aquarium
fish collectors clearly serve to promote tourism.
If the State of Hawai'i wants to stop the decline of the
populations of our reef and shore fishes, it should do the
following:
Create more Marine Life Conservation Districts like Hanauma
Bay on Oahu and Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island. It is
recommended that 20% of the coastline of the islands be set
aside as marine protected areas so that fish. can grow to
full adult size. The number of eggs a female fish can
produce increases exponentially with growth. The abundance
of prejuvenile fish then recruit to the 80% of our reefs
where fishing is allowed.
I am especially opposed to the part of Resolution 140 -11
that forbids fin clipping. This is done by scientists the
world over for genetic study. It is vital to determine the
systematic status of populations from different areas. I
have nipped a bit of fin from a fish that I have caught
while diving, and then released the fish. The alternative
would be to kill the fish. I have had tissue samples sent
to me as fin clips of live fishes in aquaria from as far
away as the Red Sea.
It is necessary for aquarium fish collectors to release gas
from the swimbladder of fishes with a hypodermic needle
when bringing them to the surface from depths greater than
a few meters. The alternative will be high mortality. It is
no more painful to a fish than our getting a flu shot.
Submitted by John E. Randall, PhD, former Senior
Ichthyologist of the Bishop Museum and member of the
Graduate Faculty in Zoology at the University of Hawaii.