Hawaii residents concerned about the impacts tropical fish collectors are having on the state’s reefs often hear the same response from state officials: If you see someone breaking the rules, document it.
So Paul Cox, a resident of Papa Bay in South Kona, did. He and his wife swim in the bay daily and, a few months ago, started taking pictures of fish collectors at work. A few things about how the fish collectors went about their work stood out to Cox, he said.
One was that, after he took some pictures and introduced himself to the divers, a few attempted to keep their anchors out of the coral.
“Even as hard as they tried, they were still contacting and walking on the coral,” Cox said. “When they’re doing their job, they’re breaking the law, as far as reef protection.”
Rene Umberger, of For the Fishes, said she noticed something else in the images. Long-established rules governing aquarium fish collecting require vessels undertaking that task to be clearly marked with the letters A and Q, as must equipment used underwater. The vessels must also display certain stiff flags. Cox’s pictures, of two separate vessels and diving groups, showed those markings and flags were not present, Umberger said.
That right there makes any fish the collectors took illegal, she added.
Umberger contacted the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement to see if it would be willing to investigate the damage. An officer told her he would, but as of this week, had not contacted her or Cox.
A DLNR spokesman said Friday Hawaii Island DOCARE officials were still trying to confirm whether an investigation had been started.
Cox said his goal in taking the pictures wasn’t to get any particular fish collectors in trouble.
“I would just like to not see our coral broken,” he said. “If you’re going to be in our front yard here, we’re going to be there to document it.”
Umberger said it’s incidents like the ones Cox recorded the last few months that reinforce the need for better rules regarding fish collecting.
The Hawaii County Council “is considering Maui-style bills to regulate the trade,” Umberger said, adding Big Island residents have been working on versions of the bill for more than a year. “The state can’t do it. This is a perfect example of why the council needs to act.”
Mike Nakachi, who was one of the founding members of the West Hawaii Fisheries Council, said he would like to see the county enact legislation that addresses potential acts of animal cruelty, including in how much water fish are placed for transport. He said the fish collecting industry should also be subject to spot checks to see if the rules are being followed.
Kona Councilwoman Karen Eoff, contacted Friday, said she couldn’t discuss potential legislation, but did comment on the ongoing concern residents have expressed.
“Hawaii’s coral reefs are some of the most beautiful and vibrant ecosystems in the state,” Eoff said in an email Friday afternoon. “We have a responsibility to take care of, protect, and properly manage Hawaii’s public trust resources for the benefit of present and future generations.”