HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0118.091 2014-2016From: BRUCE CARLSON <exallias2@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2015 11:28 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony on Hawaii County Council Bill 24
Attachments: Council Bill 24.docx; ATT00001.htm
Comm. No.
Ref. To:-_:
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Ref, Date FEB 1,,., �0�S
TESTIMONY OF: Dr. Bruce Carlson
AFFILIATION: Waikiki Aquarium Director, retired
Georgia Aquarium, Conservation Director, retired
MEASURE: Bill 24
COMMITTEE: Agriculture, Water & Energy Sustainability Committee
Chair, Council Member Margaret Wille
Vice Chair. Council Member Valerie Poindexter
POSITION: OPPOSE
This bill is at odds with scientific evidence that tropical fish collecting in West Hawaii is
operating on a sustainable basis. Thousands of hours of rigorous data collection by
biologists working under the auspices of the State Department of Aquatic Resources have
conclusively shown that fishes can be collected at the current levels without causing them
to crash. The Fish Replenishment Areas established through the many hours of hard
work by the West Hawaii community operating under the provisions of ACT 306 of the
1998 1 xgislature has had a positive effect to ensure that populations of collected species
can be maintained.
This bill apparently ignores the thousands of hours of research work, it ignores the
significant conclusions of this research, and ignores the many hours of work by the
community to reach a consensus on how to manage user conflicts in the waters of West
I lawaii. Instead it imposes onerous new restrictions with very little justification.
I oppose this bill as an unnecessary burden on both the fishermen and the government
departments that will be charged with implementing the provisions of this bill.