Mahalo for saving our reef fish
As a local girl, born and raised in Kona, from a family that has been here for generations, I want to thank our entire delegation for supporting Senate Bill 1240. This bill reflects a reasoned compromise that allows the existing commercial aquarium businesses to slowly phase down and no need fish capture licenses to be granted, saving one to five million fish each year.
Mahalo to our community for your support of our precious reefs. Our Hawaiian ancestors never took what they did not need to sustain themselves, but they always made sure that they were never depleted. Most of our reef fish are taken from mainland companies to make a profit.
There is one more thing you can do. Please ask Gov. David Ige (he is the last hurdle) to sign the bill as soon as possible, by taking a minute by clicking on his website. The people and our legislator’s have worked so hard by passing the final bill. You can also ask him to schedule a bill signing ceremony to showcase the state’s commitment to protecting wildlife, coral reefs and marine resources online at http://governor.hawaii.gov or by calling 808-586-0034.
Let’s protect our reef fish and our reefs, to help them recover from climate change induced bleaching. We can have the vibrant alive reefs return, just like when I was a girl, for our keiki to enjoy for generations to come.
Leilani Datta
Kailua-Kona