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February 12, 2008
Anyone who has snorkeled or dived in Hawaii for any length of time has the same reaction; what happened to all the fish? Whether you’re “born and raised,” a part-time resident, long-term visitor, recent mainland transplant or have moved here from another country, we all note the negative change in the number of colorful fish who frequent our coral reefs, as well as the degradation of the reefs themselves.
These missing fish are often called ornamental, because they are attractive, brightly colored creatures which are truly pleasant to watch and photograph. The Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) – remember Bubbles in “Finding Nemo?” – and other ornamental fish are not only attractive, they play a vital role in coral reef health, as these herbivores naturally feed on the algae. If these little guys don’t eat the algae, the coral can be overwhelmed and we end up with algae reefs instead of coral reefs.
Another species, the Cleaner Wrasse, also known as a Blue Streak or Bridled Beauty (Labroides dimidiatus) naturally removes disease-causing parasites. Without them the reef can be rampant with life-killing parasites. Removing cleaner wrasses not only hurts the wrasses, which cannot live in home aquariums anyway, but also hurts the entire eco-system revolving around them on our coral reefs. The somewhat similar-appearing Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus) and the Ornate Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) both thrive on coral, so they can’t live except on coral reefs.
Please realize that we are not only losing fish; we are losing the coral reefs. 2008 is the International Year of the Reef. Is this how we’re celebrating the occasion in Hawaii – by watching our reefs die? Is it to be a celebration or a wake?
So – where did the fish go? Millions of them have been ruthlessly scooped up by “collectors” for aquarium wholesalers who sell them for home aquariums not only all over the mainland, but also over much of the world. Millions? Exactly how many of these fish are collected from Hawaii’s reefs in a given year? There is no definitive answer available. The officials who would compile this data – the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, or DAR, advise that this information is not available. The best estimates run as high as ten million per year! Is it any wonder that we don’t see many of these beauties in our ocean waters?
What can be done about this situation? Aquarium bag limits must be imposed while some of these fish are still here in Hawaii. The collectors don’t care if all the fish are depleted in our islands; they’ll just head off to some other tropical area, rape their resources and keep raking in those almighty big bucks. They don’t even care if the fish survive – remember those two species that thrive on coral? – just so long as they’re alive when they sell them. If they die in some aquarium in Utah, they just sell more of them.
There are presently two companion bills before our State Legislators. At the Senate, there is SB 3225, and at the House, HB 3330, which will establish those drastically needed bag limits. But you have to influence your representatives to get these passed. Piece of cake, right? Nobody wants this to continue, whether simply because it’s the right thing to do, or because the revenue engines of the visitor industry would drastically suffer if the ocean businesses dropped off as quickly as the disappearing ornamental reef fish. Don’t choke on that piece of cake, bruddah, but there is big time opposition. The aquarium industry in Hawaii is a $20 million one, employing about 400 people. That’s dwarfed by the ocean-based tourism business that generates $1 billion per year with several thousand workers. But these businesses aren’t the big time opposition to these bills. That opposition is coming from far off places where these fish end up for the rest of their short weakened lives. Places like Australia, Asia, Europe, and don’t forget Utah and Florida. Ask our senators and representatives in Honolulu about the deluge of calls and emails they are receiving from all those places outside of Hawaii, demanding that these bills be defeated. Should Hawaii’s legislators and administrators be concerned with the clamoring from outside of Hawaii, or should they show their allegiance to the well-being of all things Hawaiian?
An easy way to contact all your legislators and keep track of these bills during this short session is to visit the convenient State website, http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov. You can find phone numbers and email addresses for all 76 legislators, as well as the current status of all bills for the 2008 session, just by following the user-friendly instructions. Check out SB 2154 also; it will help State Officers (DOCARE) to insure that the environmental laws and rules that we do have will be enforced.
So contact them and respectfully ask them to do the right thing for Hawaii, the kai (ocean), the creatures within it and for the humans who support the entire ecostructure. Put Hawaii first, before being concerned with big money interests in all these other parts of the world.
Will passage of these two bills fix all of our reef problems? Unfortunately, no, as there’s no quick fix for this long-term abuse, but it will be a big step in the right direction.
As we go to press, there is no way to anticipate where each of these two bills will be when you read this, as they have to pass through various committees before coming before the Senate and House of Representatives, but a quick check of the above-referenced website will show you exactly where they are in real time. You can then offer testimony to the respective committees by email, by fax or in person at the capitol in Honolulu. Don’t be intimidated by that term “testify.” All that is required is your full name, where you reside and that you support or oppose the bill. If you want to explain why, you’re encouraged to do so, but there is no requirement. The fewer guys in Hawaii who contact their legislators, the more the foreign influence can affect opinions and outcomes in the State Capitol. So speak up! •••
Mike Moran
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