KAILUA-KONA — A bill that would place a moratorium on all aquarium fishing in Hawaii — except for those operators already in possession of permits — is awaiting the signature of Gov. David Ige.
Some with knowledge of the circumstances that prompted the bill say, however, that it’s shortsighted, costly and unnecessary, particularly in West Hawaii.
Sen. Karl Rhoads, D-Oahu, was a primary introducer of Senate Bill 1240, which also mandates the Department of Land and Natural Resources define the term “sustainable” in regard to aquarium fishing and set policy for collection and catch limits on the most heavily fished species.
“I think there’s every reason to err on the side of caution,” Rhoads said when explaining why the bill was priority legislation. “If the governor signs this, then eventually the aquarium trade would basically die out.”
Rhoads said there are between 40 and 50 active aquarium fishing permits in the state, but several more remain valid. As soon as the bill is signed, if it’s signed, the state will immediately stop issuing new permits. As it stands now, anyone can apply to obtain one.
The transfer of a permit from a holder to a separate operator will be allowed until July 1, 2022, assuming that permit hasn’t lapsed. Rhoads said in this context that a lapsed permit is one that hasn’t been renewed for at least five years.
Those who have active permits would be allowed to continue renewing them beyond 2022, the trade fizzling out as those operators eventually retire or move on to different work.
Rhoads added that “laws aren’t forever” and based on mandated studies by the DLNR, policy could be changed at some point in the future and breathe new life into the aquarium fishing industry.
David Tarnas, a former state representative in Kohala who said he doesn’t support the bill, was at the forefront of legislation adopted in 1998 to limit the impact of aquarium fishing back when those fishers were feuding with the dive charter industry.
His legislation established a network of Marine Protected Areas along the Big Island’s leeward coastline encompassing roughly 35 percent of reef areas.
Bill Walsh, West Hawaii aquatic biologist for the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, said the impact of Tarnas’ strategy created a difference over the last 20 years that is like “night and day.”
“So much has been done here in West Hawaii to sustainably manage aquarium fisheries,” Walsh said. “The West Hawaii fishery is the most intensively studied and managed aquarium fishery in the world.”
The state, in conjunction with NOAA and researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, are recommending a similar strategy to combat coral bleaching throughout Hawaii aimed at protecting larger herbivorous fish populations that aid in reef health and recovery.
Those species, such as parrotfish, are typically too large to be targets of aquarium fishers.
Tarnas said his model, also relying on restrictions on certain species, community-based management and scientific monitoring, is one that should be implemented to guard against negative impacts from aquarium fishing instead of a ban.
A major reason is because management would prove more cost-effective, he said.
“If the governor signs this bill into law, the DLNR will come back with a plan that will require a huge increase in funding,” Tarnas said. “They estimated $10 million a year for each of the next five years just to do research on catch limits for the top 40 species. What the legislation is asking for is admirable, but I hope they’re ready to pay for it.”
Walsh echoed Tarnas’ sentiment, referring to the legislation as “frustrating” and as a “red herring.”
Both said money would be better spent creating a network of MPAs and dealing with overfishing of food fish, pollution and climate change — what Tarnas described as the real threats to Hawaii’s marine ecosystems.
Keith Dane, a Hawaii policy adviser with the Humane Society of the United States, said his organization is a staunch supporter of the legislation. Based on a recent study conducted by QMark Research in Honolulu, commissioned by For the Fishes and the Humane Society, the vast majority of Hawaiian residents feel the same.
The poll surveyed 476 people across the state, with 90 percent saying they supported the bill’s intent to limit and regulate the trade. The study also states that 83 percent of those surveyed supported ending the trade altogether.
Dane said roughly 90 percent of aquarium fish are herbivorous, including yellow tang, hermit crabs, squid and octopus. He added there’s a high mortality rate for the collected species during the shipping process, with most that survive ending up in the aquariums of private buyers.
“There’s still millions of marine wildlife being removed every year from our coral reefs to be shipped to the mainland in little plastic bags,” said Dane, adding that anecdotal evidence he’s observed shows a decrease in aquarium fish on reefs across Hawaii.
Gov. Ige will have until the middle of July to make a final decision on whether or not to sign the bill but must inform the Legislature by late June of bills he intends to veto.