New Anti-Collecton Legislation introduced in Hawai'i

Yup, it's a strictly emotion thing with the people driving that movement. They are right up there with PETA. If they really wanted to "save the fish" they would also be trying to shut down the commercial fishery for food fish. Though somehow I wouldn't be surprised if many of many of the people pushing to ban aquarium fish collection have no problem ordering the grouper or the mahi when they go out to dinner, and discuss banning the aquarium trade.
 
My thoughts exactly, Bill. I also think they consider the aquarium trade an easy target, and one they think they can beat. The fishing industry has a lot more resources to bring to bear.
 
People will complain about anything to make themselves feel better and/or bandwagon to make themselves look good.
 
Those are dangerous waters to collect in. What with Angurus diverus lurking about.

I've overheard arguments at the boat dock in which I thought someone would die... "we ever see you there with your _____ nets again your boats going to be on the bottom with you in it..."

Pretty sure they were in an area where they weren't supposed to be and using large drift nets from the convo.

Everything adds up but blocking it completely is an extreme measure. I've seen a guy netting fish for his aquarium on the beach, nobody seemed to care there.
 
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Here's a related story on PBS's News Hour: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/tropical-fish-show/

Interesting that the research by marine biologists from multiple univerisities, WWF and state universities is called psuedoscience. Activists will point to the data showing the Yellow Tang population is lower in the areas where they can be collected than in protected areas as justification to stop collection but totally ignore the data done by the same researchers showing that as the Yellow Tang population goes up many other species go down. Notably the Achilles Tang is more populous in areas where it IS collected than in the protected areas where it has to compete with more Yellow Tangs. Activists are also ignoring the research showing one of the most serious threats to reefs is the overfishing of sharks, one of the adverse side affects is the increase of small herbivores (like Yellow Tangs). Here's a link to Hawai'i's Department of Aquatic Resources reports to the Legislature, the 2010 and 2015 reports specificly deal with the West Hawai'i Regional Fishery and the Yellow Tang issue: http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/reports/
 
Thanks for the PBS link. What is sad is everyone knows in the trade that Hawaiian fish are healthier and have a much better chance to make it in your tank, so for the lady who has nothing better to do than mess with fishermen and claim that the losses are huge is ignorant.
 
People are ignorant by nature and have to be taught not to be so ignorant. I mean Scientology is a religion that seemingly smart, successful people believe and follow... The really sad part is the people that want to pass this BS are the same ones that enjoy whatever ocean caught food they are eating for dinner and never think twice about it. You have facts and logic, and then you have people without facts and logic that follow agendas. I think it is pretty clear what is driving this legislation
 
tkeracer619 said:
Those are dangerous waters to collect in. What with Angurus diverus lurking about.

I've overheard arguments at the boat dock in which I thought someone would die... "we ever see you there with your _____ nets again your boats going to be on the bottom with you in it..."

Pretty sure they were in an area where they weren't supposed to be and using large drift nets from the convo.

Everything adds up but blocking it completely is an extreme measure. I've seen a guy netting fish for his aquarium on the beach, nobody seemed to care there.
Click to expand...

Barrier nets often are confused with drift nets by laymen. Very different approach, with a much lower yield. Not to mention they are selective, and they target which species they collect off the barrier net.
 
I don't understand what all of your guy's problems are.

Hawaiians have been particularly ****ed off that they cannot have a reef tank, yet the state allows export of the very fish Hawaiian's are not allowed to keep. Why wouldn't the state make it illegal to export it's local fish too?

This has nothing to do with environmentalism, it is all about fair trade and use.

Oh, but quick! Get on the PIJAC bandwagon and send them a ton of money so they can fight this atrocity too!
 
Eric Boerner said:
I don't understand what all of your guy's problems are.

Hawaiians have been particularly ****ed off that they cannot have a reef tank, yet the state allows export of the very fish Hawaiian's are not allowed to keep. Why wouldn't the state make it illegal to export it's local fish too?

This has nothing to do with environmentalism, it is all about fair trade and use.

Oh, but quick! Get on the PIJAC bandwagon and send them a ton of money so they can fight this atrocity too!
Click to expand...

It's not uncommon for a state to outlaw the keeping of native game fish. This may have changed recently but I have had friends comment on seeing yellow tangs in aquaria in Hawai'i so at least in the recent past they could keep some native fish.

The research being conducted by researchers from multiple universities, state and federal agencies and being overseen and funded by NOAA shows the 2013 Yellow Tang populations are at levels comparable to what was seen before the aquarium trade developed which argues it is being well managed. It also shows that the increase in Yellow Tang populations is at the cost of other native species with several species showing higher populations in areas they can be collected than in protected areas where they have more Yellow Tangs to compete with. So having more Yellow Tangs may not be a good thing.

Unfortunately the Yellow Tang population in the late '70s almost certainly was not representative of pristine reef ecosystems as by then Hawai'i had been conducting a "Shark Control" program indescriminately killing sharks for a couple decades. For those not aware one of the symptoms of a degraded reef ecosystem is an increase in small herbivores allowed by a loss of apex predators. What is of potential concern is the 2014 recruitment of young Yellow Tangs which was almost 400% over what has ever been documented. In another year or two as they mature Hawai'i's Department of Land and Natural Resources may have to take aggressive action to remove plague levels.
 
You've been allowed to keep tropical marine fish in Hawaii for as long as I've been in the industry (20+ years).
 
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