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From a Coral Magazine press release:
Dead for Now: Bills that Would have Banned all Collection for the Aquarium Trade
By Ret Talbot - Coral Senior Contributing Editor, below right
Thursday, February 16, 2012 Thirteen of the 14 aquarium-related bills introduced to the 2012 Hawaii State Legislature"”including all of the so-called ban bills that would have made aquarium livestock collection illegal"”have stalled in their respective house and senate committees, making their forward movement very unlikely.
Because of the 48-hour public notification policy for committee hearings, aRet-Talbot-2011-200px 2ny bill with more than one referral and no scheduled hearing by the end of the day Thursday February 16th could not make the Friday First Lateral deadline without a waiver. The First Lateral is the deadline by which a bill must move to the final referral committee. A waiver would need to be granted before the close of business on Friday, February 17th.
One Regulatory Bill and Four Resolutions Still Active
Senate Bill 1387 (SB1387), which would require the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to develop a so-called "White List" of aquatic species that may be collected or sold for aquarium purposes, was referred to a single committee and is therefore not required to meet the Friday deadline. SB1387 is one of the bills carried over from last year, as Hawaii's Legislature has a two-year term always beginning in an odd-numbered year and ending in an even-numbered year.
The Friday deadline only applies to bills, so the four marine aquarium fishery-related resolutions (SR2, SCR1, HR6, and HCR8) remain active at this time.
Aquarium Fishery Advocates Celebratory
Aquarium fishery advocates are generally happy with this development. "œ[A]ll aquarium fishermen here in Hawaii are pleased that the State of Hawaii is recognizing the difference between fact and fiction," said Bob Hajek, president of the Big Island Association of Aquarium Fishermen (BIAAF), when asked about the passage of the Wednesday deadline.
"œWith the overwhelming evidence that continues to prove that our fishery is, and always has been, a healthy and sustainable one, we can only hope that people don't stop educating themselves, and others, as to the true state of affairs of tropical fish collecting in Hawaii." Big Island's marine aquarium fishery is the largest aquarium fishery in the State.
General enthusiasm for the passing of Wednesday's deadline was also expressed by aquarists and industry insiders by way of social media and email Wednesday night and Thursday morning. In the past year, the interest in Hawaii's marine aquarium fisheries has grown significantly, as aquarists and other fishery advocates express concern that a closure of the marine aquarium fishery in Hawaii could have serious consequences for aquarium fisheries in other states like Florida and even internationally.
"œIf it is determined that one of the most studied and better managed marine aquarium fisheries in the world should be closed by legislative decree," said one Los Angeles-based importer, "œthen I'm guessing many other aquarium fisheries would not fare very well in the face of these activists who have it in for the trade."
Dead for Now: Bills that Would have Banned all Collection for the Aquarium Trade
By Ret Talbot - Coral Senior Contributing Editor, below right
Thursday, February 16, 2012 Thirteen of the 14 aquarium-related bills introduced to the 2012 Hawaii State Legislature"”including all of the so-called ban bills that would have made aquarium livestock collection illegal"”have stalled in their respective house and senate committees, making their forward movement very unlikely.
Because of the 48-hour public notification policy for committee hearings, aRet-Talbot-2011-200px 2ny bill with more than one referral and no scheduled hearing by the end of the day Thursday February 16th could not make the Friday First Lateral deadline without a waiver. The First Lateral is the deadline by which a bill must move to the final referral committee. A waiver would need to be granted before the close of business on Friday, February 17th.
One Regulatory Bill and Four Resolutions Still Active
Senate Bill 1387 (SB1387), which would require the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to develop a so-called "White List" of aquatic species that may be collected or sold for aquarium purposes, was referred to a single committee and is therefore not required to meet the Friday deadline. SB1387 is one of the bills carried over from last year, as Hawaii's Legislature has a two-year term always beginning in an odd-numbered year and ending in an even-numbered year.
The Friday deadline only applies to bills, so the four marine aquarium fishery-related resolutions (SR2, SCR1, HR6, and HCR8) remain active at this time.
Aquarium Fishery Advocates Celebratory
Aquarium fishery advocates are generally happy with this development. "œ[A]ll aquarium fishermen here in Hawaii are pleased that the State of Hawaii is recognizing the difference between fact and fiction," said Bob Hajek, president of the Big Island Association of Aquarium Fishermen (BIAAF), when asked about the passage of the Wednesday deadline.
"œWith the overwhelming evidence that continues to prove that our fishery is, and always has been, a healthy and sustainable one, we can only hope that people don't stop educating themselves, and others, as to the true state of affairs of tropical fish collecting in Hawaii." Big Island's marine aquarium fishery is the largest aquarium fishery in the State.
General enthusiasm for the passing of Wednesday's deadline was also expressed by aquarists and industry insiders by way of social media and email Wednesday night and Thursday morning. In the past year, the interest in Hawaii's marine aquarium fisheries has grown significantly, as aquarists and other fishery advocates express concern that a closure of the marine aquarium fishery in Hawaii could have serious consequences for aquarium fisheries in other states like Florida and even internationally.
"œIf it is determined that one of the most studied and better managed marine aquarium fisheries in the world should be closed by legislative decree," said one Los Angeles-based importer, "œthen I'm guessing many other aquarium fisheries would not fare very well in the face of these activists who have it in for the trade."
