HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1145.096 2012-2014From Two Little Fishies 1.305.623.7697 Mon Nov 17 15:47:52 2014 MST Page 1 of 1 P/wi
[_;511L 31
o CD
CCD
0
Two Lithe Fishies, Inc. --
1007 Park Centre Blvd. Miami Gardens FL 33169 U.S.A.
Tel; 305.623.7695, Fax 305.623.7697 v
info twolittlefishies.com r
www.twolittlefishies.com T
Dear Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council: IN
I do not support Bill 318. I have read the above- referenced bill and feel compelled to comment. I
wholeheartedly support any reasonably thought -out and actually beneficial measure to improve the care
and handling of all harvested living marine life, which I consider a natural treasure of the Hawaiian
Islands. However in the case of this bill, I know from experience that the two proposed measures are
neither well - thought -out, nor beneficial. In fact, both proposed requirements would be to the detriment of
the fishes and other marine life. Furthermore, they risk not only hanning them and wasting the natural
resource, the requirement to increase water volume adds to the weight burden on the airplanes,
contributing to greater fuel consumption, which is not beneficial to our planet.
While many fishes feed continuously, this does not mean that they need to do so without interruption. In
the wild fish feed this way because most food items are greater than 85 % water. Fishes that feed on other
fishes get a more nutritionally dense source of nutrition, and may only feed a few times per week, if that
often. You cannot apply one rule to all species. Feeding some fishes more than a few tunes per week may
thus exceed their natural rate of feeding. For all fishes the practice of avoiding feed for at least 24 hours
prior to shipping is not a matter of lack of care, quite the opposite? It is analogous to the care one gets in a
hospital prior to surgery. You don't eat before surgery because doing so puts you at risk for complications
during surgery. The same is true for shipping fish. If the exporters follow the Bill's proposed guideline to
feed prior to shipping, a well -fed fish will pollute its water, causing it much suffering as it has to breathe
water contaminated by its own excrement, and that could lead to a greater possibility of mortality. This
would be true even if the proposed minimum of 1 gallon of water is used. Exporters know from
experience not to feed fishes before shipping, to allow them to purge their digestive systems, just like
doctors and nurses know about no food nor drink before surgery. The exporters are not being cruel. They
are being kind.
To force the use of I gallon minimum for the fishes adds an unnecessary weight and volume requirement
for shipments. Aside from increasing airplane fuel consumption, it increases the likelihood of breaking
the shipping box, due to the high weight to volume. It also substantially increases the chance that a fish or
other marine animal could be crushed.
After approximately 50 years of experience I think the aquarium industry has developed an understanding
of how much water and how much oxygen is needed to properly ship marine life in plastic bags so that
the fishes and other marine life not only survive but also experience a minimum of stress. While this bill
may seem like an effort to assure the best care for the marine life, it is clearly a case of wishful thinking
without the benefit of experience or understanding the processes developed by an industry that shares a
cotrunon goal with the authors of the bill: the humane treatment of the marine life.
Sincerely,
r
Julian Sprung, President
Comm. No. S *q UD
Ref. To: ro C,
Ref. Date Way 19 7014