Shining light on ‘The Dark Hobby’

KAPAA — Aquarium trade and pretty fish are the topic of a documentary showing at the Courtyard by Marriott at Coconut Beach on July 28 at 7 p.m.

It’s the Kauai screening of “The Dark Hobby,” a film that dives into the Hawaii aquarium trade, an industry that generates hundreds of millions for the state each year.

A statewide ban on aquarium fishing went into effect in January after a state Supreme Court ruling required environmental review prior to collection for the commercial aquarium trade.

Aquarium fishing permits in Hawaii were declared invalid after the October 2017 Supreme Court decision authored by Judge Jeffrey Crabtree, and spokespeople for the Department of Land and Natural Resources said then that the department would “fully comply” with that decision in January.

The state said in October that officials continue to “believe that existing aquarium fishing practices are sustainable and environmentally sound,” a statement which shall be explored in the environmental review of aquarium fishing in the state.

In January, after the Supreme Court decision, representatives from Earthjustice, the environmental law organization that represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the main concern is that too many fish and other wildlife are being taken without proper regulation.

“The Dark Hobby” explores impacts of aquarium fishing including environmental and economical in a place where reef-based tourism is integral.

“‘The Dark Hobby’ is an entertaining expose on this crisis, and the ongoing political struggle,” the film’s website says. “At any given moment, 28 million fish are in the aquarium trade pipeline from point of capture to home hobbyist tank.”

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