Petitition to Stop Hawaiian Fishing Ban

Petitition to Stop Hawaiian Fishing Ban — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

 

Bump for yellow tang!

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Bump for Achilles Tangs and Bandit Angels!

 

I'm sorry but i dont understand the point of this petition. As aquarists, wouldn't we want to prevent the needless deaths of fish, not promote their capture? JM2C

 

The point is complete bans are not necessary for sustainable management. Science/empirical data has told us this many times over, but the anti-aquarium activists are basing their position purely on emotion and dogma.

This is not an issue of ethics or the humane treatment of animals. That is an entirely different discussion we can have. What this is about is the conservation of natural resources, and outright bans are not required and may lead to more harm than good. Economic incentives and consumer interests maintains interest to conserve and protect this precious natural resource. Remember: chances are, you love coral reefs and reef fish because of the hobby. Otherwise, you would have as much interest in the welfare of coral reefs as you do the Borneo forest or Mojave desert.

 

I don't see how this is a bad thing. We need to quit depleting the reefs, and learn how to culture coral and breed fish ourselves. Yes, some things may be impossible to breed and aquaculture in captivity, and some things may only be found in Hawaii, but we need to learn to control how much we take out of a single location. Maybe if they see the population come back in the area, they will pull the bill.

 

I have quite a lot of interest in the Mohave Desert and Borneo's rainforest...but, I got my degree in wildlife ecology and conservation.

I believe that only a very very small percentage of the people in this hobby are properly qualified and educated to truly understand the issues of this petition, I don't include myself in that small percentage.


With that being said, I'm for the petition, and I'm for it for purely economic reasons and the selfish desire for Hawaiian corals and fish.

I truly believe that the Hawaiian reefs would benifit the most from a complete ban on aquarium fishing, would the Hawaiian people benefit in the same way...doubtful.

The example of the yellow tang is a wonderful one for the prospect of sustainable reef harvesting. However, very few reef animals have been studied to such an extent and have their life histories so well recorded and understood, that no one will be able to forsee the effects of an entirely hypothetical "sustainable" harvest of reef life.

Science is nothing but conjecture unless backed by years of research and peer reviewed journal articles.

 

This petition is to NOT ban all forms of harvesting but to Promote responsible fishery management which means don't take 300 fish and only expect 100 to make it. They should instead take 300 fish and expect like 290 to survive. that's what this is about. Yes preserving a reef is important but an out right ban does nothing when for the most part it will just make some fish cost more, and will instead of being harvested legally, humanely, and with limitations they will be poached and everyone knows poachers don't care how they get the fish just that theirs money in the pockets...

 

Fishery v fish population is not a zero sum game. You can actually maintain (or even increase fish population, as is the case with yellow tangs) while harvesting more. Consider the timber industry. Proper management provides more then sufficient yield to sustain burgeoning demand.

Population of yellow tangs have rebounded significantly with responsible management in Hawaii. Read the blog (and links within) for more info. Fishery management is working. There's just no need for total bans, and it can do more harm than good by taking away interest and economic incentives from this natural resource.

 

While poaching is a legitimate concern, poaching under current regulations is a lot easier then it would be in a situation of a complete ban on fishing for aquariums.

It's easy to say "I caught these fish at this location officer, quite outside of the restricted waters a few miles from here".
It's much harder to justify I fish in the hold in a scenerio where there is no permissible water.