Possible ban on collection and export of all reef fish from Hawaii!

HawaiiFishCollector

All of us in the tropical fish industry in Hawaii need your testimony and support against Resolution 363-10 (being heard 1:30pm Tuesday, July 20) to ban the collection of fish for export from the island of Hawaii. Please fax and email your testimony against Resolution 363-10 before 12:00 noon (Hawaii Standard Time) on Monday, July 19 .

You can submit your testimony by email or by fax:

Public testimony must be submitted before 12:00 noon Monday, July 19

- by facsimile to (808) 961-8912
-by email to counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us

Thank you all for your support, we need it!

Julie Klaz

Big Island Aquarium Collectors Association







Testimony regarding the Reef Fish Collection Resolution (363-10) can be submitted via email if you are unable to make the meeting next Tuesday. Please send your testimony to counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us. The testimony is then distributed to all council members.

This message is to inform you that a resolution is coming before the Hawai’i County Council’s Committee on Human Services and Economic Development regarding the Collection of Reef Fish on Tuesday July 20, 2010 at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort at 1:30pm. Resolution 363-10 recommends the DLNR disallow the collection of reef fish for export in the waters surrounding Hawai‘i Island. Testimony is scheduled to begin at 1:30pm allowing 3 minutes for each testifier followed by the introduction and discussion of agenda items by Council Members. We encourage anyone who wishes to comment on the agenda item to attend and/or distribute this information as you wish. Please feel free to call the Kona Council office with questions at 327-3642 or email me at kkonan@co.hawaii.hi.us.


Thank you for your time,
Kristen Konan
Council Aide
Councilman Kelly Greenwell
District 8, North Kona
ph. (808) 327-3642
fax (808) 329-4786
kkonan@co.hawaii.hi.us

kitten_penang

Coucil aide Kristen Konan. I know my lively hood is not at stake here but don't get me wrong.Just hear me out.
We here love fish and sometimes our little hobby is what that is feeding your trade.Each and every time the government gives a ban on something, there are some that will go against it meaning ( poaching ).Poaching is never good and the ones that do this do it in a discrete manor as not to get caught.More then often that means they will use poison especially cyanide and that kills off any smaller fish and the reef it's self .This will destroy your coral gardens and slowly but surely deteriorate the health in nearby atolls as the reef start dying in certain areas and they ( the poachers ) shift from one atoll to another till there is not one reef left in your native Hawaii.It is very disturbing for me to read this.
They are banning the the collection of wild fish for a reason.My guess is that the reef is slowly deteriorating as too many fish are being removed in either a proper or non proper way ( meaning cyanide, the local poison weed, harsh collection technique or removing a large number of juveniles )
My stand would be
1) To go against the ban but gazette a certain area,size and species list that are and aren't supposed to be collected and get the people to follow it.( will also curb poaching to an extent)
2 ) Educate the people.Let them know they pay a big role in keeping the reef healthy for their lively hoods and the lively hood of others
3 ) Strengthen the bond between the association and the people ( meaning dump the people that are doing it for cash and leave the job to someone that actually cares )
4 ) Study better techniques of reef fish catching that gives minimal impact of the reefs.Get the people that are in the industry to do this together with the local government or by themselves
5 ) Have a record of what's been done as proof you are trying to rectify the problem and the government or non NGO bodies like WWF won't mind giving you a hand


*Use this as an example.Tell the people to the story of the a place where the fish were close to extinction and the fisherman lively hood was nearly grounded to a halt due to over fishing.Then the government made a treaty with the people to gazette a certain area as a marine park.The people agreed and after sometime being given to the fish population to stabilize the fisherman fishing outside of the marine park are now enjoying larger and better catches.A far cry from what they were catching a few years back.( true story btw )
*People destroy nature and giving nature some time to heal is both beneficial for both.



P/s : I hope the best for Hawaii and I hope everything works out well.
One people,One nation,
United we stand,Divided we fall.
Tell the people of Hawaii to remember that.




Yours truly;
Melissa Anne Cornelius
Malaysia

HawaiiFishCollector

Please send all comments directly to :
counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us

(The Hawaii County Council members will get a copy of your emails!)

Thank you so much for your support!

trukgirl

Well said Melissa.

kitten_penang

Thank you =) I do hope you too voice out your opinion to save the reef and the little creatures we love so much.

trukgirl

Well, I'm not so good with wording sometimes... is why I'm a musician and not a writer, LOL!

I definitely completely agree with everything you wrote though, so X2 on your opinion!

kitten_penang

I'm neither lol ;)
cheers gotta get back to mu 104 set up.