hawaii collecting

[thelizardkin]

ive spent hundreds of dollars on boat rentals, gas, net materials, scuba gear all in the name of collecting fish. i go out just about every weekend with my catch nets in hand, and after a whole year, just now getting around to catching fish on scuba...way down at 110'. i rarely try to collect above 50', not worth my time.

unless youre a highly skilled collector, forget about catching anything on snorkel.

its frigging hard, really really hard. no matter how smart, saavy or athletic you may think you are, a fish is 10 times smarter than you are, 10 times faster than you are IN THE WATER.

you will look like youre in slow motion to them and more than likely blank.

i dont care if you see them by the hundreds, and it looks like you can reach out and touch them.......pull out your catch nets, and its a different story.

the amount of money you'll spend, verses what you can/will collect will be inversely great.

with that said, go for it....give it a whirl, and let us know what you manage to catch

you'll come out of this with a newfound respect for the survive ability of the lowly reef fish and you wont think twice about shelling out 50 bux for a fish :beer:

thanks for saying that nicely and it is worth a shot and even if i don't catch anything snorkling I remember seeing a lot of cool fish the the tide pools

 

[Sinclair81]

I think it would be cool, when I was in college a good friend of mine went out to hawaii for school and one christmas he brought home some convict tanks and some random damsels and a puffer. All made it just fine, and thrived in my 55g until he got his tank set up. It was really cool and I wish I could do it, when you do get back send me a pm linking me to the pictures of what ya caught.

 

[thelizardkin]

I think it would be cool, when I was in college a good friend of mine went out to hawaii for school and one christmas he brought home some convict tanks and some random damsels and a puffer. All made it just fine, and thrived in my 55g until he got his tank set up. It was really cool and I wish I could do it, when you do get back send me a pm linking me to the pictures of what ya caught.

I will pm you and I'll make a thread

 

[iMob]

trust me, you'll catch fish...not as hard as people make it seem,although it is somewhat difficult you have to setup the fish by maybe putting some bread pieces on the surface and having a net ready to strike,its all about patience.
i ended up being able to scoop up a puffer with my own hands that way.
i wouldn't suggest bringing them to the mainland though,just let them live in the wild because chances are they will end up dying.
here are some pics.
there are convict tangs everywhere...wrasses are in crevices..blennies everywhere...eel's all over cracks...not to mention those black urchins..GAhh...just have fun and enjoy it there, Hawaii is amazing.

 

[iMob]

sorry for double post.

 

[iMob]

sorry for double post.

 

[r-balljunkie]

......setup the fish by maybe putting some bread pieces on the surface

Aha! that's what Ive been missing this whole time!!!

bread crumbs. muh ha ha ha.

 

[Ron Reefman]

thelizardkin, go for it. I hope it works for you. imob says it's easy, sorry, it's not. A puffer, sure, but try for a tang or a butterfly, no way! Heck, I caught a 16" puffer with a pool net in 3 feet of water off the beach while dragging for shrimp (I use the shrimp for fish food). But I go snorkeling in the Keys 4-8 times a year (long weekends) and I collect stuff (all legal and with proper license) but catching cool, good looking fish is very difficult. I have collected some cool stuff and having things I collect in my tanks is cool (and again, very legal). Just remember, wild caught anything needs to be quarantined and corals dipped. You don't want to bring anything bad from the wild into your pretty (and expensive) DT. Good luck (you'll need it) and more importantly, have fun!

 

[overklok]

I have experience doing this!!!! It is very easy to catch fish, especially if they are in tide pools. I have caught convict tangs, surge wrasses, damsels, gobies, eels, you name it. Get a collection permit from Hawaii DAR and you are legal. I catch small fish, I usually put them in gatorade bottles and put them in my checked luggage, they make it no problem, just insulate the bottles with clothing. I have 4 Hawaiian tank raised convicts in my 220 right now, big fat and healthy, filet O' fish size!!! They were so small when I caught them you could still see through them, having just settled out of the larval stage. They are the best algae eaters around.

 

[thelizardkin]

any one know what I can't take I know I can't take hard coral but what about soft coral or hard coral washed up inverts are there fish I can't take and is there a limit on what I can take

 

[FrogfishFeeder]

any one know what I can't take I know I can't take hard coral but what about soft coral or hard coral washed up inverts are there fish I can't take and is there a limit on what I can take

Its questions like this that gets you the negative replies...
All of your questions so far can/will be answered by simply spending a few minutes reading and researching on the HaDOR website.
If you cant even do your own fact-finding, how can you expect to be successful actually catching fish?

Im all for you trying to collect your own stuff, and id drive to oregon to get 2 dragons(im only in Ca), but you gotta show ppl on here you are serious....
Asking questions about Ha collection laws to ppl on reefcentral(instead of reading Ha site) is probably not gonna sway ppls attitudes to your favor..

Good luck dude, lemme know when I should leave for oregon

 

[NYCBOB]

according to the website, recreational divers are allowed to use fine mesh net only to catch fish for their aquariums. i hope you have a real big net.

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/licenses_permits.html

 

[thelizardkin]

there's not much on their site these are the rules it says nothing about inverts coral and I find it hard to believe there are only 3 fish I can't take

1.Licenses issued to individuals are non-transferable and cannot be used by anyone else.
2.This permit does not exempt me from any other regulation, except that I may use fine meshed traps or fine meshed nets, except throw nets, to take marine life and non-game freshwater fishes for aquarium purposes.
3.I may not take any aquatic life that is regulated (minimum size, closed season, bag limit, etc.) or use nets in any area prohibited by provisions of the Hawaii Revised Statutes or Administrative Rules of DLNR, Title 13.
4.I may not use any chemicals, electro-fishing devices or explosives to take aquatic life.
5.I may not kill, damage or take any live rock or live coral.
6.I may not collect any aquatic life in any area where the taking of aquatic life is prohibited.
7.I may not sell any aquatic life unless I have a valid commercial marine license. All such aquatic life must be sold for aquarium purposes, and not for sale as food.
8.If I intend to sell any aquatic life, I must submit reports as required by the commercial marine license.
9.I may not take any of the following:
■"˜oama (juvenile goatfish less than 7" fork length)
■"˜o'opu (freshwater goby)
■halalu (akule less than 8.5" fork length)
10.I must maintain the proper operation of facilities designed to keep fish alive and in reasonable health.
11.I must keep all aquatic life taken under this permit alive and in reasonable health.
12.I must allow DLNR to enforce its regulations and to inspect the facilities where the aquarium life is kept.
13.I must carry the permit while engaged in collecting aquatic life for aquarium purposes.
14.If I do not have a valid commercial marine license, I may not take more than a total of five aquatic life specimens per person per day.

 

[benjc]

My advice...collect in areas where nobody is around; your biggest risk will be from locals not liking you taking their stuff...same as if you were in the lineup taking "their" waves. As for how ethical it is to capture the fish, most fish we buy weren't captive bred, so someone somewhere was doing what you want to do; your interest in keeping the fish alive is likely greater than the person that would otherwise catch the fish that would sell it to a distributor, that would sell it to a wholesaler, that would then sell it to your LFS.

 

[kaipo13]

Easy catch... LOL

The truth of the matter is, eels are exponentially easier to catch than most reef fish. However, it has been my experience that dragon morays are much rarer on Hawai'i and Maui as compared to O'ahu. As for catching a tang, perhaps a small Manini(Convict,) if you are persistent in the tide pools, otherwise I'd write that one off to avoid frustration.

Once again I must reiterate my advice, which is, nothing you catch will survive the wait to be shipped and trip back that isn't a crab, snail or sea cucumber. The shock of being caught, along with the environment that the fish is immediately thrust into(most likely a non-aerated bucked,) and however long you have to wait to ship the fish so it gets there as you arrive back wherever you came from; will most likely lead to dead fish. I would not let anyone know what you are doing if you don't want to chance someone possibly getting violent with you for what you are doing.

Reconsider the fish. Small hermit crabs would most likely easily survive in your checked baggage, in a baggie or small tupperware; or in a flat-rate priority box (~$5 for the small one.)

 

[pr12]

there's not much on their site these are the rules it says nothing about inverts coral and I find it hard to believe there are only 3 fish I can't take

Quote:
1.Licenses issued to individuals are non-transferable and cannot be used by anyone else.
2.This permit does not exempt me from any other regulation, except that I may use fine meshed traps or fine meshed nets, except throw nets, to take marine life and non-game freshwater fishes for aquarium purposes.
3.I may not take any aquatic life that is regulated (minimum size, closed season, bag limit, etc.) or use nets in any area prohibited by provisions of the Hawaii Revised Statutes or Administrative Rules of DLNR, Title 13.
4.I may not use any chemicals, electro-fishing devices or explosives to take aquatic life.
5.I may not kill, damage or take any live rock or live coral.
6.I may not collect any aquatic life in any area where the taking of aquatic life is prohibited.
7.I may not sell any aquatic life unless I have a valid commercial marine license. All such aquatic life must be sold for aquarium purposes, and not for sale as food.
8.If I intend to sell any aquatic life, I must submit reports as required by the commercial marine license.
9.I may not take any of the following:
■"˜oama (juvenile goatfish less than 7" fork length)
■"˜o'opu (freshwater goby)
■halalu (akule less than 8.5" fork length)
10.I must maintain the proper operation of facilities designed to keep fish alive and in reasonable health.
11.I must keep all aquatic life taken under this permit alive and in reasonable health.
12.I must allow DLNR to enforce its regulations and to inspect the facilities where the aquarium life is kept.
13.I must carry the permit while engaged in collecting aquatic life for aquarium purposes.
14.If I do not have a valid commercial marine license, I may not take more than a total of five aquatic life specimens per person per day.


You might read a bit closer, because it says very clearly that no coral may be taken, and you'll have to do a bit more research as to what is restricted fish wise.

 

[raskal311]

If you are not a residence i believe the permit is.a few hundred.bucks.

 

[thelizardkin]

The truth of the matter is, eels are exponentially easier to catch than most reef fish. However, it has been my experience that dragon morays are much rarer on Hawai'i and Maui as compared to O'ahu. As for catching a tang, perhaps a small Manini(Convict,) if you are persistent in the tide pools, otherwise I'd write that one off to avoid frustration.

Once again I must reiterate my advice, which is, nothing you catch will survive the wait to be shipped and trip back that isn't a crab, snail or sea cucumber. The shock of being caught, along with the environment that the fish is immediately thrust into(most likely a non-aerated bucked,) and however long you have to wait to ship the fish so it gets there as you arrive back wherever you came from; will most likely lead to dead fish. I would not let anyone know what you are doing if you don't want to chance someone possibly getting violent with you for what you are doing.

Reconsider the fish. Small hermit crabs would most likely easily survive in your checked baggage, in a baggie or small tupperware; or in a flat-rate priority box (~$5 for the small one.)

first off the dragon eel was a joke and also I'm not going to just put them in some bucket I'm thinking a cooler with an air pump also I understand it's hard to catch stuff but I'm still going to try

 

[Anemone]

Once again I must reiterate my advice, which is, nothing you catch will survive the wait to be shipped and trip back that isn't a crab, snail or sea cucumber. The shock of being caught, along with the environment that the fish is immediately thrust into(most likely a non-aerated bucked,) and however long you have to wait to ship the fish so it gets there as you arrive back wherever you came from; will most likely lead to dead fish.

This is the reason I am against this. Killing a bunch of fish you hand caught because you are too stubborn to admit you don't have the knowledge base and experience to be successful will be painful (sorry, these aren't trout you're keeping for a few days in a bucket, these are fish you'd like to have alive at the end of a few weeks, a few months, and a few years).

Kevin

 

[thelizardkin]

This is the reason I am against this. Killing a bunch of fish you hand caught because you are too stubborn to admit you don't have the knowledge base and experience to be successful will be painful (sorry, these aren't trout you're keeping for a few days in a bucket, these are fish you'd like to have alive at the end of a few weeks, a few months, and a few years).

Kevin

and that's how it was with the trout I put them in my pond