Bad news for our pockets loom :(

[jetchris]

I got this sent to me. Its kinda intersting - My feelings go both ways on this what do you think.

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Aloha all, The Hawaii Legislature is considering to pass a bill that will limit aquarium fish collection in Hawaii to 20 fish per collector per person with a maximum of 5 yellow tangs per day. The bill also will put a no take cap on angels, butterflies, boxfish, puffers,eels and many other species. The passage of this bill will essentially shut down the tropical fish industry in Hawaii which will include the transhipped items from Christmas Island and Marshall Islands. Please forward this to everyone in the industry because if we don't stop this bill, next year, yellow tangs may wholesale at $100 each.
</span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Let's try this :</span></span>

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Regarding Senate Bill 3225 SB3225</span></span>

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> </span></span>

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Everyone including all businesses, employees, divers, parents, kids, brothers and sisters, friends, and everyone involved in this industry - </span></span>

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> </span></span>

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">JAN. 28-29th FROM EARLY IN THE MORNING TO LATE AFTERNOON, CALL SEN. CLAYTON HEE'S OFFICE AT 808-586-7330 AND WHEN ASKED BY HIS OFFICE STAFF - LEAVE YOUR FULL NAME - ( FIRST AND LAST NAME ), AND PHONE NUMBER, AND VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO SB3225. IF WE CAN GET 500+ PHONE CALLS INTO HIS OFFICE, WE CAN SHOW THERE IS VERY STRONG OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL . IT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE MIGHT SHELVE THIS BILL. WE NEED TO TIE UP HIS PHONE WITH OUR CALLS. THEN TOMORROW NIGHT, FAX SENATOR HEE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL ALSO. ( FAX NUMBER 808-586-7334 ) THIS WAY, WHEN HIS STAFF COMES IN ON TUESDAY MORNING, THERE WILL BE FAXES ALL OVER HIS OFFICE FLOOR. </span></span>

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> </span></span>

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">WE NEED TO OVERWHELM HIM WITH CALLS AND FAXES VOICING OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL.</span></span>

 

[ericmcj31]

that's not good-I mean I can see where controlling the # taken out is good, but that sounds kinda harsh-it 's really too bad that marine fish weren't bred a little easier-I mean I know it can be done on some species, just not like freshwater fish can--

 

[krb]

personally, I think the industry as a whole needs to work towards tank bred everything. I know that is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible. I know it would take years and years to be able to accomplish such a feat, but that is why I said work towards. My $.02

 

[ericmcj31]

KRB;128569 wrote: personally, I think the industry as a whole needs to work towards tank bred everything. I know that is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible. I know it would take years and years to be able to accomplish such a feat, but that is why I said work towards. My $.02

that would be better for the species of fish, and our pockets (longterm eventually), and I would rather have a bred fish, usually they are a little hardier

 

[lorenk]

Chris, where'd that come from? I did some googling and couldn't find anything on that bill.

 

[victor626nj]

i think got it cause he use to be a vendor

 

[caldwellm]

man- that seems terrible for us-- but i think it really is probably better off for the fish... i think its a bummer and excellent at the same time lol

 

[jetchris]

Victor626nj;128581 wrote: i think got it cause he use to be a vendor

yes

 

[blind1993]

trust me hawaii needs it. when i was in maui you could see 10 yellows and 1 blue hippo. also that was the reef that no collecting has been done to and no human touch except scuba and snorkle.

sals tank has more tangs than that whole reef.

 

[kzoo]

From what I can read it is only Hawaii? There are fish and coral imports from all over the world. All of hawaii islands are federal protected now. I dont think its a bad thing, at least not for the hawain reefs.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

I support it 100%... I have dived in that area of the world and the reefs are depleted like you would not believe.

 

[showtime305]

It has my support also. I hate to see the price of livestock raised but that's the price we have to pay to bring the beauty of the reefs into our homes. Sounds like this just means more profit for those on the front line though.

 

[tim8111]

I got this same email from a supplier. I agree that if the fish are not in abundance they should be limited. However, the section about transhipping from the Marshall and Christmas islands is the concern I have.

 

[krb]

Xyzpdq0121;128601 wrote: I support it 100%... I have dived in that area of the world and the reefs are depleted like you would not believe.

there are too many reefs that are depleted and/or dying

 

[kwl1763]

I also fully support. We should make sure we sustain the reefs first and do the hobby second. More expensive fish will for sure promote more.

At one point there were flame angels that were captive bred but double the price then wild caught and people wouldn't pay it. When we take to much from the reef we will have no cxhoice or rthe hobby will only be for the super rich!

 

[ericmcj31]

I think they will figure something out (not sure who they is), but think about it--if a yellow tang goes for $100 wholesale, that means probably $250-350 retail--now-like kwl said, who can pay that for one fish?? Mind you a yellow tang?? I agree that the safety of our reefs are more important than us having an aquarium, but think of all the people the aquarium hobby supports--The people who make the tanks, skimmers, filters, etc.--and if a yellow tang goes for $300 I think it would have a definite negative effect (obviously). Resulting in less sales of equipment, lights, supplements, etc.--so I think maybe some of the deeper pockets will come up with better solutions--I mean the aquarium industry is I'm sure a multi-billion $$$ industry in the US alone-that's a lot of $$$ and a lot of jobs

 

[mojo]

I believe it was Scott Michael's book that mentioned that yellow tangs from Hawaii were one of the few that were currently controlled to the point that it was a sustainable resource. I can't vouch for any of the rest of the fish, but I do specifically remember reading that.

While certainly uphold laws to protect the marine environment, I don't have a problem with a sustainable harvest.

Regarding Marshall Islands and Christmas Islands... they'll just find another way to ship, rather than going through Hawaii...

 

[cameron]

This was sent to me yesterday.

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/bills/SB3225_.htm"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/bills/SB3225_.htm</span></a>

Aloha all, The Hawaii Legislature is considering to pass a
bill that will limit aquarium fish collection in Hawaii to 20 fish per
collector per person with a maximum of 5 yellow tangs per day. The bill
also will put a no take cap on angels, butterflies, boxfish, puffers,eels
and many other species. The passage of this bill will essentially shut down
the tropical fish industry in Hawaii which will include the transhipped
items from Christmas Island and Marshall Islands. Please forward this to
everyone in the industry because if we don't stop this bill, next year,
yellow tangs may wholesale at $100 each.

Regarding Senate Bill 3225 SB3225[/QUOTE]

Personally, until you know more about the reef situation there I am not advocating doing anything about this bill. I love reef tanks, but I do not want to cause any undue harm on the reefs either.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Posted yesterday... I will merge with the other thread!

 

[cameron]

Thanks. I missed keeping up and looked on the first two pages of new posts and didn't see anything. Several suppliers have sent me this notice all asking to stop the bill, but I am not sure that is the best thing to do.