HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0118.093 2014-2016From:
Matthew Ross <matt.htfa@gmail.com>
Sent:
Friday, February 13, 2015 10:39 AM
To:
Council Testimony
Subject:
Testimony In opposition to Bill 24 and Bill 318 for county council hearing on Feb. 17
Attachments:
Bill 24 testimony.pdf; Bill 318 testimony.pdf
Hello,
I would like to submit testimony for the Committee on Agriculture, Water, and Energy Sustainability hearing on
Tuesday, Feb. 17.
1 am testifying in opposition to Bill 318 and Bill 24, both relating to aquarium fish. Please find my testimony in
the attached PDFs.
Matt Ross
COMIA No.
Margaret Wille, Chairperson
Valerie Poindexter, Vice Chairperson
Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability Committee
Hearing for Bill 24—February 17, 2015
OPPOSE
I oppose Bill 24
I am a commercial aquarium fisherman on Oahu. I have never fished on the Big Island,
nor do I plan to do so in the future. The aquarium fishery here on Oahu is very healthy. There
are enough fish for everybody, the tour industry is thriving, and nobody in the aquarium fish
industry is having trouble earning a living. However, because our islands our interconnected in
many ways, I am concerned about the effect that Bill 24 will have on the aquarium fishery in
Hawaii County and, by extension the rest of the state.
Presently, the aquarium fishery is well managed and regulated at the state level. There
is no indication that overfishing is occurring, and due to area closures in West Hawaii the fishery
poses little threat to the dive & snorkel tour industry. We already are required to hold state
licenses to catch fish, and another to purchase and export fish. Moreover, the Hawaii State
Legislature is currently proposing additional regulations, in the form of HB 873 HD1, that would
require fair certification and animal welfare standards for business in the fish industry.
As such, Bill 24 is entirely redundant and, if enacted, would accomplish nothing more
than waste county resources in area where it is clearly pre-empted by state law. Moreover,
several provisions in Bill 24 are unworkable and make no sense from either a business or
biological perspective. Please do not pass this bill.
Matthew Ross
Pearl City, Oahu