PIJAC Alert: Hawaii SB2003 to End Aquarium Fishery

[shred5]

Some new news on the situation:

https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2018/01/25/pijac-alert-hawaii-sb2003-to-end-aquarium-fishery/



We Need Your Help in Hawaii TODAY! Tell the Hawaii Senate Water and Land Committee NO on SB2003
What Hawaii SB2003 Says:

• It shall be unlawful to take, for commercial purpose, any marine or freshwater non-game fish and other aquatic life by any method of catch, including by use of fine meshed traps, fine meshed nets, or throw nets, without possessing a valid, non-lapsed aquarium fish permit and commercial marine license; provided that the taking is not otherwise prohibited by law.
• Beginning on July 1, 2018, the department of land and natural resources shall not issue aquarium fish permits for the taking of marine or freshwater nongame fish and other aquatic life for aquarium purposes.
• The department of land and natural resources shall renew an existing aquarium fish permit, if the permit has not lapsed at the time of the renewal.
• The department of land and natural resources shall transfer an existing aquarium fish permit prior to July 1, 2023, if the permit has not lapsed at the time of the transfer.
• Except as prohibited by law, non-lapsed permits shall be renewed by or transferred to only commercial marine licensees, as defined in section 187A-1, who can satisfy the department that they possess facilities to and can maintain fish and other aquatic life alive and in reasonable health and do not engage in animal cruelty practices that violate section 711-1109.

Click Here to Take Action Now

What it Means

SB2003 sides with emotion, and directly opposes a huge amount of sound science! Hawaii will institute an indefinite ban on aquarium fishing permits. This amounts to a ban on all future aquarium fishing in the state of Hawaii and effectively puts a termination date on aquarium fishing in Hawaii. In fact, given that current licenses have been declared void until HEPA requirements imposed by the Hawaii Supreme Court decision are met, it could be interpreted to mean that all aquarium fishing would be banned immediately.

It would also mean that those fishermen that already hold a permit, unable to find a permitted dive partner, would have to unsafely dive alone.

What You Can Do

Click here to submit a letter to Hawaii’s Senate Water & Land Committee immediately.

Contact everyone you know in Hawaii or in the pet trade and ask them to submit a letter as well.

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Editor’s Note: From the text of SB2008:

“The legislature further finds that, as a precautionary principle and since saltwater fish and other aquatic life are not caught for food purposes, it is in the best interest of the fish and other aquatic life, as well as of the reefs they inhabit, that they remain in their natural environment, not confined in personal aquarium tanks. Therefore, the legislature concludes that commercial fishing for aquarium fish in Hawai‘i should be phased out.”

 

[Sipec]

NO!!!
no no no no no
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sipec]

It dosent say they are going to stop it all togeter, though

 

[Richard the Reefer]

Well I guess someone needs to figure out how to breed these creatures!

 

[andrewkw]

There is no option to send a letter from outside the US?

If you don't mind I have a couple of questions. Does this mean exporting will end in July 2018 or July 2023? Further explanation would probably help more people send letters. Shipments seem to still be making it in now fine.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I don't see any major changes here to the existing permitting protocol. Collectors have always had to have a collection permit, their boats must be clearly marked to ID them as collectors, they cannot take from protected areas, they must report number of fish collected and so on. A 'no' vote could be implied to mean that collection permits will not be renewed.

 

[shred5]

It dosent say they are going to stop it all togeter, though

They are no longer giving out new permits. Existing ones if not lapsed will end July 1, 2023. After that date no more.

 

[shred5]

I don't see any major changes here to the existing permitting protocol. Collectors have always had to have a collection permit, their boats must be clearly marked to ID them as collectors, they cannot take from protected areas, they must report number of fish collected and so on. A 'no' vote could be implied to mean that collection permits will not be renewed.

Except no new permits and those that have them can only renew up to July 1 2023 and after that no permits period.

Basically mean the fishery is closed July 1 2023

 

[shred5]

Well I guess someone needs to figure out how to breed these creatures!

Breeding is very difficult with most saltwater fish.
Most saltwater fish it is impossible to tell male from female let alone get a pair.
Allot of saltwater fish do not lay eggs on a medium like clowns they are broadcast spawners releasing eggs and sperm to float with the plankton.
Some fish like tangs do this in the hundreds and this is hard to reproduce in a captive environment.

They also do not have a fry stage like most freshwater stage but have a plank-tonic stage where they go through metamorphoses eventually and sometimes fiding out waht triggers this is hard.

Then their is the food issue where they need such small food and nutritious food at that.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Quote: Beginning on July 1, 2018, the department of land and natural resources shall not issue aquarium fish permits for the taking of marine or freshwater nongame fish and other aquatic life for aquarium purposes.<<
Quote: The department of land and natural resources shall transfer an existing aquarium fish permit prior to July 1, 2023, if the permit has not lapsed at the time of the transfer.<<

I guess I'm confused about the meaning of 'issue' v. 'renew' v. 'transfer.'

 

[shred5]

Quote: Beginning on July 1, 2018, the department of land and natural resources shall not issue aquarium fish permits for the taking of marine or freshwater nongame fish and other aquatic life for aquarium purposes.<<
Quote: The department of land and natural resources shall transfer an existing aquarium fish permit prior to July 1, 2023, if the permit has not lapsed at the time of the transfer.<<

I guess I'm confused about the meaning of 'issue' v. 'renew' v. 'transfer.'

I see what you are saying but why put a date of July 1 2023 then why not just say no new permits after July 1 2018 only renewals.

also it says this:
The department of land and natural resources shall renew an existing aquarium fish permit, if the permit has not lapsed at the time of the renewal.

I am sure we will find out more the next few days..

 

[Brew12]

Quote: Beginning on July 1, 2018, the department of land and natural resources shall not issue aquarium fish permits for the taking of marine or freshwater nongame fish and other aquatic life for aquarium purposes.<<
Quote: The department of land and natural resources shall transfer an existing aquarium fish permit prior to July 1, 2023, if the permit has not lapsed at the time of the transfer.<<

I guess I'm confused about the meaning of 'issue' v. 'renew' v. 'transfer.'

I interpret this as no new permits will be given after July 1, 2018. Existing permits can be renewed indefinitely. Existing permits can be transferred to eligible parties as long as the transfer is completed prior to July 1, 2023.

 

[Brew12]

Reading the actual bill confirms my first thought.
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB2003_.pdf

 

[EmdeReef]

They are phasing it out:

The legislature further finds that, as a precautionary
principle and since saltwater fish and other aquatic life are
not caught for food purposes, it is in the best interest of the
fish and other aquatic life, as well as of the reefs they
inhabit, that they remain in their natural environment, not
confined in personal aquarium tanks. Therefore, the legislature
concludes that commercial fishing for aquarium fish in Hawai'i
should be phased out.

Basically, they're capping the number of licenses to existing licenses which can then be traded/transferred until 2023 to ultimately lapse with the death of the license holder as of July 1, 2023.

 

[drawman]

They are phasing it out:

The legislature further finds that, as a precautionary
principle and since saltwater fish and other aquatic life are
not caught for food purposes, it is in the best interest of the
fish and other aquatic life, as well as of the reefs they
inhabit, that they remain in their natural environment, not
confined in personal aquarium tanks. Therefore, the legislature
concludes that commercial fishing for aquarium fish in Hawai'i
should be phased out.

Basically, they're capping the number of licenses to existing licenses which can then be traded/transferred until 2023 to ultimately lapse with the death of the license holder as of July 1, 2023.

That's how it looks to me as well.

Message sent.

 

[Dana Riddle]

After dealing with the Hawaii DLNR, DOH, and other governmental agencies while in Hawaii for 18 years, I'm not surprised that this Bill seems to be sloppily written. What really ticks me off, though, is that no Hawaii State agency would dare regulate non-commercial sustenance fishing. I can think of at least 3 cases where local fishermen took much more than they needed, and these fishes (Manini, Achilles Tangs, small parrotfishes) stayed in freezers until they got freezer burn and became inedible. Talk about waste.
I'm still on the West Hawaii Fishery Council email list, and I get the minutes and agendas for their meetings. I'll post any pertinent info when and if it becomes available.

 

[Forsaken77]

I think this is what the politicians intended with the first bill, but fishermen found loopholes. It still doesn't say they can't be collected by the vacuum method.

 

[shred5]

Well some updates
https://www.reef2rainforest.com/201...rium-fishing-ban-draft-assessments-published/

https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2018/04/13/hawaiis-contentious-inshore-fisheries-by-the-numbers/

 

[Dana Riddle]

This is the West Hawaii Fishery Council's Mission Statement:
“To effectively manage fishery activities to ensure sustainability; enhance nearshore resources; develop and implement management plans for minimizing resource depletion and conflicts of use; per legislative mandate to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to provide for substantive involvement of the community in resource management decisions; and encourage scientific research and monitoring of the nearshore resources and environment from Upolu Point to Ka Lae.”
Oddly, their agenda for next week's meeting questions if they will respond to the recent Environmental Assessment. I assume they will, since it was clearly stated in the meetings I attended before leaving Hawaii that they considered closure of the fishery to aquarium collectors a death knell to their mission. I'll post more as it becomes available.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

I’m fine with this. Gives researchers 5 years to fine-tune their ways of captive breeding. Universities and individual scientists have made great strides recently in captive breeding, I hope this continues moving our hobby in that direction.