Bringing live fish back from Hawaii question

[cthetoy]

I may be taking a trip to Oahu in the fall and was wondering if I could bring some native reef fishes back from Hawaii ie Naso, Yellow tangs, etc. Are the prices much cheaper there? Any problems bringing them back as a carry on? Any places your recommend? Do I need to get a special permit/license first? I know corals and live rocks are a no no but heard fish are ok.

 

[WarDaddy]

My buddy used to bring back fish all the time. Just tell the LFS that you are flying with them, they will place them in a larger bag w/ more water.

get yourself something like this:
http://www.igloo-store.com/product_detail.asp?T1=IGL+COLLAPSE+COOL+6&HDR=igloffice
perfect for carryon. It will help keep the temp stable for the duration of the trip.

 

[BBishop]

You can buy fish at the pet shops and bring them back. You can also collect fish, but yes, you do need a permit to collect. You can get a permit at the courthouse/administrative building. It's free for up to 5 fish per day, beyond that there's a fee. Several years ago it was around $35 for a year.
Good luck and have fun. I wish I was going with you.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Don't know all the rules but the guy I got my tank from has done it. You can try PMing him and see. His RC handle is MargaritaMan

I have a really nice Naso that his friend caught and shipped to him. I know he has inlaws there and so may have a better hook up but he might still be able to offer you some advice.

 

[Wilafur]

truthfully, i don't see you saving more than $5-10 per fish. is it truly worth the effort and the stress on the fish to save the paltry amount of money?

however, if you were to get your hands on a hard to get fish then i say go for it.

margaritaman is a great guy and has roots to the islands and can definitely help you out if you REALLY want to bring fish back.

 

[cthetoy]

When I went on a short snorkeling trip last year just off shore there were some nice butterflies Ive seen but they were 6"+ and lots of big 4"+ damsels. If there were some smaller tangs then that would be cool to catch and bring them back the day I depart back to the main land. Im sure they are not easy catch. I would love to say when people see my reef tank and say "Yeah I caught those fishes myself"

The hard to get fish I would be interested would be some Moorish Idols. I know they are super hard to keep but once you find one that is eating and healthy at a LFS then the chances of it surviving is greater. Plus the MI of Hawaii tends to do better than the ones from Indonesia/Bali which most LFS locally carries.

Perhaps I might be saving a few dollars but to catch a few and buy a few sounds fun. At least if buy some native fishes there I know they should be net caught and cyanide free.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

You also need to think about your tank size before catching some fish. Since you currently have a 150, you may be limited on the tangs or butterflies as well as angels. Do your research for local fish BEFORE you go.

My Naso is now about 11" long plus streamers. He's doing great and is in a 400 G tank. There are some other tangs and angels that you may be able to get there that are hard to come by, just make sure you can support them.

 

[BBishop]

I use to live in Hawaii and as a side business I caught fish for the trade. It's not hard and it's a lot of fun. With some prior planning it's easy to get them back to the main land.
As far as stress on the fish, your cutting out several middle men and holding tanks. Overall it's a lot easier on the fish.
There's also a book on local fish of Hawaii, it gives you a general discription of the fish, local names and habitat, which helps you to know where to look.

 

[riotj]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7520434#post7520434 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BBishop
I use to live in Hawaii and as a side business I caught fish for the trade. It's not hard and it's a lot of fun. With some prior planning it's easy to get them back to the main land.
As far as stress on the fish, your cutting out several middle men and holding tanks. Overall it's a lot easier on the fish.
There's also a book on local fish of Hawaii, it gives you a general discription of the fish, local names and habitat, which helps you to know where to look.

Any suggestions on how to catch them since you used to do it as a side business?

 

[cthetoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7520434#post7520434 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BBishop
I use to live in Hawaii and as a side business I caught fish for the trade. It's not hard and it's a lot of fun. With some prior planning it's easy to get them back to the main land.
As far as stress on the fish, your cutting out several middle men and holding tanks. Overall it's a lot easier on the fish.
There's also a book on local fish of Hawaii, it gives you a general discription of the fish, local names and habitat, which helps you to know where to look.

THanks for that info and everyone else who replied . Someone also mentioned to check with the airlines you are flying with because some will not allow live fish and some will. At least this will give me a general idea on what to plan and expect.

When you caught fish for the trade did you take a boat out or was it just off shore?

In Calif you need at least a 1 day fishing license to catch fish. Do you need a fish license in Hawaii?

We should get a group trip together to Hawaii for a fishing expedition

 

[pledosophy]

How does it work with corals? Same?

 

[cthetoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7522232#post7522232 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pledosophy
How does it work with corals? Same?

I think Corals and live rocks are illegal but fish are ok. You can not even own a coral in Hawaii from what I have been told

 

[kmainzer]

I had a friend who tried to bring stuff back a couple years ago. Since the Hawaiian reef fish populations have been declining over the last decade or so, many areas of the coasts are now off-limits for collecting. You need to go see Hawaii Fish & Wildlife to find out where it's legal. Also, think carefully about whether you want to do this - there's a couple of really awesome captive-prop facilties in Hawaii. rcthawaii.com has the most beautiful captive bred dwarf angels...I'd love to see their setup! Also check out oceanrider.com - they breed seahorses.