Ban on Aquarium fish in Hawaii

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gasman059

The OG mad scientist
"Tanscript form the man himself Rufus"


Ban on Aquarium fish in Hawaii

Aloha all,

The Hawaii Legislature is considering to pass a bill that will limit aquarium fish collection in Hawaii to 20 fish per collector per person with a maximum of 5 yellow tangs per day. The bill also will put a no take cap on angels, butterflies, boxfish, puffers,eels and many other species. The passage of this bill will essentially shut down the tropical fish industry in Hawaii which will include the transhipped items from Christmas Island and Marshall Islands. Please forward this to everyone in the industry because if we don't stop this bill, next year, yellow tangs may wholesale at $100 each.

Thank you,

Rufus Kimura

808-728-8806



Let's try this :
Regarding Senate Bill 3225 SB3225

Everyone including all businesses, employees, divers, parents, kids, brothers and sisters, friends, and everyone involved in this industry -

JAN. 28-29th FROM EARLY IN THE MORNING TO LATE AFTERNOON, CALL SEN. CLAYTON HEE'S OFFICE AT 808-586-7330 AND WHEN ASKED BY HIS OFFICE STAFF - LEAVE YOUR FULL NAME - ( FIRST AND LAST NAME ), AND PHONE NUMBER, AND VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO SB3225. IF WE CAN GET 500+ PHONE CALLS INTO HIS OFFICE, WE CAN SHOW THERE IS VERY STRONG OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL . IT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE MIGHT SHELVE THIS BILL. WE NEED TO TIE UP HIS PHONE WITH OUR CALLS. THEN TOMORROW NIGHT, FAX SENATOR HEE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL ALSO. ( FAX NUMBER 808-586-7334 ) THIS WAY, WHEN HIS STAFF COMES IN ON TUESDAY MORNING, THERE WILL BE FAXES ALL OVER HIS OFFICE FLOOR.

WE NEED TO OVERWHELM HIM WITH CALLS AND FAXES VOICING OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL.

__________________
Into the depths we go...
 
yeah, pretty straightforward bill.

Are there any statistical projections anywhere showing that there is an apparent overfishing of some of these fish populations, or is this just some tree hugger's idea, that the poor animals must be suffering so we should ruin everyone else's time? kidding, but not kidding.

Also yea, it doesn't say anything about trans-shipping through Hawaii.

The one good side I can think of though is that there will be more effort put into aquaculturing yellow tangs and potter's angels, which are difficult to get to breed, but it's possible, and I'm sure someone can do it, and if that's the case, they'll make a ton of money and save the fish in the ocean as well... hmmmm.....
 
you should all read this before calling/voting etc..

THE SENATE
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII
JAN 23 2008
S.B. NO. 3225
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO FISHING.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 188, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
2 amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated
3 and to read as follows:
4 1I§188- Ornamental fish; bag limit; prohibition; yellow
5 tang stock assessment. (a) There shall be a combined bag limit
6 of twenty fish per person per day of ornamental fish, including
7 but not limited to, yellow tang, flame angels, and butterfly;
8 provided that the combined bag limit may include a maximum of
9 only five yellow tang. No person shall catch, net, or trap more
10 than the bag limit. The department of land and natural
11 resources shall formulate an annual stock assessment of the
12 yellow tang, beginning September 1, 2008, based upon data
13 existing as of that date to provide an estimated inventory for
14 preservation purposes; provided that the assessment shall be
15 made publicly available.
16 (b) No person shall catch, net, or trap certain ornamental
17 fish in a no-take category, including but not limited to, all
2008-0903 SB SMA-1.doc
Page 2 S.B. NO. 3225
1 puffer fish, all box fish, potter's angel, cleaner wrasse, all
2 coralvores, and all eels.
3 (c) For purposes of this section, the term "ornamental
4 fish" means salt water fish, usually found in or around reefs,
5 that are commonly kept in aquariums.
6 (d) The department of land and natural resources shall
7 adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 for purposes of this section,
8 including adding other types of ornamental fish."
9 SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general
10 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000 or so much
11 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for the
12 yellow tang fish stock assessment as provided in section 1 of
13 this Act.
14 The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of
15 land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.
16
17
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
18 provided that section 2 shall take effect on July I, 2008.
19
INTRODUCED BY:
2008-0903 SB SMA-1.doc S.B. NO. 3225
Report Title:
Fishing; Ornamental Fish; Bag Limits; No Take Category;
Appropriation
Description:
Imposes bag limits on certain ornamental fish; prohibits
catching of certain ornamental fish; appropriation
2008-0903 SB SMA-I.doc
 
Right. That's the pdf that I posted. The question is still where is the evidence behind this, or drawing reason for having this. Are YTs overfished?

All it looks like it's doing to me, without seeing evidence in favor of a declining population of these fishes, is just limiting the collection, therefore destroying the ornamental industry in Hawaii. Do they not like the fishing boats or something? If they limit the fishing in HI, they're more likely to increase fishing in foreign lands where the fish are not as well looked after or protected, more likely increasing the danger of overfishing in countries with less restrictions.... Gotta consider both sides and other externalities... :/
 
i agree but it doesnt seem to be destroying the industry, it will raise prices. but theres nothing on transhipping or the islands,

there is however a ban on puffer fish, all box fish, potter's angel, cleaner wrasse, all
2 coralvores, and all eels.

and a cap on fish such as yellow tangs, butterflies and flame angels, with no more the 5 yellow tangs.

doesnt look like it would "kill the industry" to me, the prices will rise, and the supply will be lower. more likely to narrow out the industry to me.
 
so in other words if you want a yellow tang get one now :p ... funny thing is i almost bought one this weekend
 
Well, it would kill the industry in the sense that today each ornamental collector of yellow tangs collects a few hundred (that's a very rough estimate, but you can see how over the course of a week going from ~700 to ~35....). Now they can do five. And don't say that they'll hire more workers to have more heads to collect more fish. They won't. They'll just raise the prices.

It won't kill the industry for us, but it will for any Hawaiian collector, or Californian collector who collects in/around HI.
 
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