Eco Groups

The only organizations supporting more regulations are eco groups with no scientific foundation to support such legislation. Science has been twisted and lied about in an effort to further their cause. Their intent is to close all of Hawaii’s fisheries, regardless of the fact that there are many scientific studies to prove fish counts are up. Sustainable to them means closing all the oceans, but in reality, sustainable actually means using resources wisely and responsibly so that they will be there for all future generations to come. Our group too loves the ocean and can easily see why they care but to lie and stretch the truth just hurts real issues which are so important in the preservation of Hawaii’s oceans for future generations.

As my University of Hawaii ecology professor said when I teetered on the brink with emotion, there are two sides to every ecological conflict. Science – not emotion – must be the basis for decision making. Impact to individuals and human factors must be considered when considering ecological decisions. Ecology group based legislation can seriously undermine DNLR and others who have worked so diligently to propose scientifically based and sustainable legislation. This is why much of the new Ocean legislation from ecology groups has been opposed by DNLR.

The problems are complex, and viable solutions need to be addressed. Rushing into seemingly good laws may have done non reversible damage to the same ocean they are trying to protect. Closing large areas with the new National Sanctuaries and 30% closures just forces fishermen into smaller areas. These closures will lead to much greater impacts on the remaining open marine environments than if these laws were not passed.

Eutrophication Seaweed

Only very near shore reefs in run off areas with little current are in decline; see http://cramp.wcc.hawaii.edu/) study of Kaneohe and Maui. Hawaii's reef fish do not eat seaweeds which grow as a result of eutrophication and run off. Aquarium fish collectors are being blames for an excessive algae problem which in reality does not even have anything to do with our industry. Divers rarely if at all dive at depths shallower than 60 feet and the algae growth is at shallow depths near shore. We have no effect on fish populations in these areas. The actual cause is runoff, several studies prove this. To think tropical fish collecting has any impact on this issue makes no sense. Would you dive in polluted high algae growth areas?

Fish Replenishment Area

Oahu and Maui have much less ocean areas for diving making them poor candidates for 30% FRA closures. The Big Island has vast areas and the 30% closure there left enough area for rotating fishing spots.

Potters angels just had a large bloom in population on our west shores. More potters have been seen in the past two years than reportedly have been seen in twenty years. Potters are found on every island in the Hawaiian Islands and are less abundant in some places like Kona. See fish catch reports comparison of the DNLR at end.

Cleaner wrasse due to their parasite cleaning and reef health benefits are a concern but like the potters they are very abundant. Cleaner wrasses are not a big seller but do very well in aquariums and keep the parasites down in aquariums. Cleaner wrasse and cleaner shrimp are used to keep disease down in aquariums.

The taking of all coralvores (who eat live coral and consume a lot of coral every year) may be banned, but such a ban defies all logic when it is supposedly the year of the reef. We really need clarification on what species we are referring to when we discuss “coralvores.” Tropical fish collectors do not take many coralvores as they do poorly in non coral aquariums. Fish catch stats show little collecting of these species and this very abundant fish class should not be an issue.

FRA concept is a big mistake as new research shows little migration of reef fish. Families and fry return to the reef where born. Just like salmon. The 30% closure just decreases the area for fishing and increases impact on non closed areas. At first the rational behind the closures was that fish would migrate into non close areas and then provide 30% increases in fish to open fished areas. We were promised that fish populations would increase if we allowed 30% closures. No science was used for this theory and many ecologists and researchers got on the save the ocean band wagon. Many marine researchers pushing for these world wide 30% closures were from land locked Universities. World wide large closures were done. Several new studies using radio labeling and familial DNA show less spreading of fish than was thought to be true.

Fish fry were thought to be dispersed by the currents which they are to some extent. New studies show fry swim very well against even the strongest ocean currents making their way back to the reef where born. Many so call facts regarding fish breeding and the spreading of fish are found to be not true with the new information. It is too late now! I do not see the 30% closure law in Kailua Kona being repealed. It should be! Smaller complete closure areas are the direction the research supports. Huge NWH Island closures do damage as well as large closures just increase impact on other areas.

These ecologically based laws can be very damaging to other areas. Environmental impact statements regarding non closed areas need to be done before such laws are introduced.

This is the biggest environmental mistake made to date and it was done in the name of preservation.

For more information on FRA, please see our Links section.

Misinformation

There is so much misinformation regarding tropical fish collecting that it would take many more pages to cover it all. For proposed legislation let us examine a number of issues. Eco groups claim nine million fish are taken from Hawaiian waters every year. This is not even close to DNLR totals on average 800,000 fish and invertebrates that are taken per year for the whole State and it is less than the fry for one breeding pair of fish at one spawning. Detailed DNLR fish catch Stats are at end of this paper.

Tropical fish collecting is not the cause of algae and seaweed overgrowth. Runoff and fertilizer eutrification is responsible. South Maui with the biggest problem with seaweeds has several studies proving runoff is the cause. The shallow low fish population runoff areas are not even fished by tropical fish divers. The type of algae that is the problem is not even consumed by algae eating fish.

Catch report show no substantial increase in the number of divers over the past few years and fish catches are nearly the same for decades showing no major decline in the fisheries. The 2006 verses 2007 fish count totals by DNLR catch reports show a decline but this was due to economy and decline in sales not harvest. Fish counts show rapid replacement of fish in harvest areas and even with the 30% closure we have still maintained catch amounts comparable to the years before the closure.

There was a decline in the last year in the number of Kona divers by 7. At this time no limits for permits are needed. Admittedly, fishing management areas have worked somewhat on the Big Island and literally millions of dollars have been spent studying the formation of the FRA (Fish Replenishment Areas). Results show declines of many fish in the preserves due to the increase population and declining food supply of other fish. There are many problems with these kinds of preserves; specifically, to propose the same 30% areas for Oahu and Maui are premature and not sound science. Tropical fish collecting on the Kailua Kona coast is still sustainable despite the 30% closures. Will times of low populations due to natural repopulation declines lead to sustainability issues because of the 30% closed areas in the future?

Some researchers and ecologist tout an 80% decline in reef eating fish. If it was true which it is not this would mean a loss of predators which prey on reef aquarium fish. One study show that one introduced foreign blue spotted grouper eats 250 reef fish a year. It wouldn’t take much of a predator decline to lead to a major increase in reef fish populations. We are seeing an abundance of reef fish with recent large populations. Tropical fish divers are also seeing large schools of Ulua, Aku tuna, and many other eating fish. There is not an 80% decrease in reef fish! One 80% study compared one less populated area to an area in the NWHI. Bottom fish areas which are closed have eating fish declines possibly linked to over fishing but the same surveyors also found millions of bottom fish in adjacent areas.

One proposed law would grant complete control to the DNLR. Many of the same ecologists which support 30% closures work for the DNLR. DNLR should be regulated especially when dealing with such an important subject like marine preserve management, but as unbelievable as it would seem, some bills would give all of the closure area decisions to the DNLR The legislature must be in control of important resources affecting the whole economy of the State.

DNLR has made many mistakes in the past like bringing in foreign fish species. Overall the DNLR has done a great job in managing Hawaii’s marine resources. Fish counts are up and once rare mammals are reaching good population numbers.