Should commercial aquarium fish collectors be allowed to resume plying their trade with fine mesh nets along Hawaii Island’s shores?
That question, along with how commercial licenses should be regulated, is the subject of a dispute between the aquarium industry and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources upon the publication Wednesday of the industry’s finding of no significant impact in its final environmental assessment.
The environmental assessment covers the nearshore region to depths of 600 feet around the island except in those regions already designated as no-collection areas such as Fish Replenishment Areas.
Courts invalidated all existing aquarium permits for commercial collectors using fine mesh nets, the preferred method of catching fish, in October and recreational collectors in April. DLNR in January banned aquarium fishing in West Hawaii, regardless of the type of gear used.
The state environmental agency disagrees with the aquarium industry that resuming the practice of allowing commercial fishing licenses will have no significant environmental impact.
DLNR Chairwoman Suzanne Case, in a July 26 letter to the state Office of Environmental Quality Control, outlines eight factors that also should be taken into consideration in a full-fledged environmental impact statement, as opposed to the less detailed environmental assessment the industry is proposing.
“We also note that there are no bag limits for most species, and that the fishery as currently regulated does not limit the number of permits, so that the annual take as a percentage of estimated population could rise significantly,” Case said in the letter.
“The fishers are open to discussing limitations on take or licenses, but do not want any numbers being discussed to be arbitrary,” spokesman Bob Likins said.
The aquarium industry estimates its business adds $1.35 million to the state economy annually and provides more than 50 jobs. Opponents worry about harm to the environment and the tourist industry from the depletion of the colorful reef fish.
The public has until Sept. 7 to comment on the 518-page document, which can be found at bit.ly/2OTNqRH
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Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.
There should be no more fishing for, and/or transporting, Hawaii’s remaining reef and aquarium fish out of Hawaiian waters! The population of these fish has been decimated enough with the introduction and population growth of Monk Seals who devour them by the thousands, dying reefs caused by all kinds of human pollution pressure, and these aquarium businesses absconding with them for profit. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
There should be NO COLLECTING (for aquarium use} of any fish from our reefs in Hawaii. I have been diving here for 40 years and have seen the decimation of the populations of all the beautiful reef fish that live here first hand, and it is heartbreaking. I can only imagine what it must have been like here 100 or 200 or more years ago. We may not be able to go back to those days, but it is VITALLY IMPORTANT that we try to preserve what little is left. On another level, Mr. Oswald’s comment regarding Hawaiian monk seals is so completely without any basis in reality as to be laughable, if it wasn’t for the sad fact that a few mentally challenged people in this state feel the same way and actually will try to harm or kill the seals. Does anyone really think that 1000 or so seals in this entire vast archipelago are the cause of the decline in reef fish populations? Give me a break! It’s us! It’s humans! Other than that, I agree with Mr. Oswald: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!