HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0140.080 2014-2016COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAII
c' VED
Time 1• oP By '64c,'
Aloha, OPPOSE Bill 318 Feb. 10, 2015 Date —a2 17/55
I am a Hawaii County registered voter and have been collecting and exporting aquarium fish in Hawaii since
1967. For the last three years I have undertaken projects in the Pacific region for NGO's and government
fisheries to improve the health of aquarium fish exported.
In undertaking this work I have found that:
• Hawaii is frequently used as a model for aquarium fisheries. This is because of the low mortality and high
quality of Hawaii fish, along with sustainable management of the fisheries by DAR.
• Guidelines for transport of live fish such as IATA conflict with the requirements of Bill 318.
• My work to improve health and lower mortality of aquarium fish in various Pacific island fisheries would
not be possible if I had to adhere to the two requirements in Bill 318. The two requirements would result
in increased mortality and decreased health of the fish. To explain this:
• It is well documented that feeding live fish before transport is not recommended. Short term removal
of food is a common practice for the health of many organisms. There is a difference between short
term fasting and starvation.
• Requiring one gallon of water per fish is not a recommendation I have seen in 50 years of exporting
live fish. Further I cannot find any scientific studies or published reports supporting this requirement.
For example; one gallon of water if used improperly could result in a depth of water that does not provide
oxygen evenly through the water. The fish will settle to the bottom of the bag to sleep, but the oxygen will
tend to concentrate in the upper part of the bag depriving the fish of normal oxygen levels. There is a correct
amount of water, bag size, surface area, depth of water, etc. for each fish, and one size does not fit all.
Essentially these recommendations are being made by those that have little to no experience in commercially
shipping marine fish and purport to know more than individuals that have been successfully shipping for
decades. In short if you pack a 3 inch long fish in a gallon of water will you have less mortality than in a quart
of water? The answer depends on the water preparation, parameters listed above, and the health of the fish.
My fish arrive alive and in excellent health, so I can assure you they will not achieve an improved result.
They are trying to solve every transport problem with a single fix of one gallon of water, and it is highly
doubtful they will achieve the quality results that I do.
In closing, I entered the aquarium fishery as an aquarist as I love fish and aquariums. So while I am testifying
against this bill I am not against transporting fish in a manner to maximize health. I believe everyone supports
transporting fish with the lowest mortality, stress, and for maximum health. So, while the council has strong
support for this concept, the council does not have expert support that Bill 318 will achieve this. It is as if
someone with no knowledge of transporting live fish picked these requirements out of thin air. The
requirements of Bill 318 are critically flawed, without basis, and will result in needless loss of fish that would
have otherwise been perfectly healthy.
Thank you, Anthony Nahacky
Comm. No. q()• 0
Ref. To: W C- SC-
Ref. Date FEB 17 2015