How is this stupid, have you seen how decimated the natural livestock numbers are. This is a measure to temporary allow the reefs to repopulate. It's actually a great idea.
No you are correct but I can only talk about what I witnessed growing up there and how it was the last time I visited which was a couple years ago. I even asked my good friend about it after I typed my response and yes certain areas are ok now but the reefs are not what they used to be, he said groups are even going out and planting corals to try and bring it back. He says Kaneohe is horrible and so is Haunama (which I did visit last time and it was sad that you had to go far out to really see any fish). He told me they are introducing Harlequin Shrimps to combat the over abundance of star fish that are eating corals. Hopefully that goes better than the introduction of mongoose to the islands. My wife still likes to calls me haoli but whatever because I may be from NY but spent the majority of my life on Oahu so I've seen the differences of a healthy ecosystem vs a bad one. So I'm all for the ban if it brings all of the reefs around the islands back to what they used to be.Maverik since u dont live her now u cant place an informed ,local, west hawaii recent opinion now can you? The west side of the island is doing extremely well, the recruitment of local reef drops of yellows and other normally collected reef fish Kona side has blossomed seriously . There are shoals of yellows ,koles etc heavy on all the healthy reefs.
There are miles of reef south of Kona toward Milolii that are all dead in shallow from the hot sea water. But the reefs unaffected are very healthy. Probably more so since 2 yrs ago the DLNR rulled to stop all scuba spearfishing in west Hawaii. Now there are yellows and koles 8 in long easy. Lots of them and that means more juveniles for recruitment . More fish on the reef ,more to sustainably harvest once the industry is able restart very sustainably..
It can and has been done,
Value the Aina, treat it with respect, like u would your Kapuna(elders).
Malama the ocean and all her creatures.
Pic. Cc,ct
Kona
Aloha
With all due respect I don't think anyone is against bringing back reefs around the islands. I just think a lot of us here are against banning the collection of aquarium fish which according to numerous studies does not affect the reef. There are many issues affecting coral reefs across the globe that deserve everyone's attention.
I lived in Kaneohe for over 6yrs. This is not the problem. Its the run off from the golf course. Its the oil still leaching from WWII wreckage. Its the thousands of gallons of suntan lotions washed off the howlies. Its the money maker of the islanders. The money turns the checks. Easy to blam other things. If other things are blamed, more Outrigger motels are built, more money comes in with the suntan oils. Haunama Bay use to be so beautiful so magnificent, but from all the oils of hundreds of thousands of people. Its killing corals. But they make hundreds of millions off it. Sososo sad. 
