Just last week, Hawaii's Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Crabtree lifted an injunction on marine aquarium fish collection in West Hawaii that had been in place since 2018. This paved the way for the State's fisheries management agency, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), to begin re-issuing permits to resume the fishery in this locale.
But right on the heels of that, Hawaii State Senators Mike Gabbard and Karl Rhoads introduced Senate Bill 505, seeking to "prohibit the harvesting of
aquatic life for commercial aquarium purposes, regardless of the
method of collection." If passed, this bill would impose a statewide ban. It will be introduced for public comment and decision making THIS FRIDAY.
Do you have knowledge of, or experience with, aquarium fish coming from Hawaii? What are your thoughts on whether or not Hawaii's aquarium fishery should resume? Let your voice be heard. Click on the button below to submit your written testimony. Your statement can be short, concise, and simple. You can speak from your experiences, you can speak from the science. For background, you can follow the links below for an overview of Hawaii's marine aquarium fishery when it was in operation, and the judicial proceedings that occurred in recent years to shut it down.
Your testimony must be received by THIS Thursday, February 9th, at 7pm Eastern Time in order to be considered.
