Hawaii Aquarium Fishery-Related Bill Update
A recap of the 6 aquarium-fishery related bills being floated Hawaii’s legislative season this year.
HB 883 Defines “Cruel Treatment” of Fishes Harvested in Hawaii Aquarium Fishery
Some mandated practices to avoid “substantial injury” or “cruel treatment”, intended to improve animal welfare, may actually do the opposite.
House Bill 873 Would Prohibit the Sale of Aquatic Life for Aquarium Purposes
HB 873 would prohibit the sale of aquatic life for aquarium purposes, and is the House version of Senate Bill 322, which was introduced in the Senate on 23 January.
Hawaii Animal Transport Bill Could Cripple Aquarium Trade
Aquarium trade exporters and others argue that the practices mandated by this proposed bill “…results in considerable hardship and mortality for fishes being transported.” Peer-reviewed science does not support SB 670, nor does technical documentation published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
New Bill Proposes 10-Year Moratorium on Aquarium Fishing in Hawaii
HB 606 would establish a ten year moratorium on the taking of aquarium fishes. As such, if the Bill passes, the Hawaii aquarium fishery would close until 30 June 2025, making it the second bill introduced this season that would effectively close the aquarium fishery in Hawaii.
Sandhi 善迪 says:
Amazing spot. I love this part of knowledge: "Every small, free square inch is quickly occupied by Xeniidae corals. But, they seem to serve a very important function, preparing the substrate, and binding every piece of coral rubble together so sponges and coralline algae can finish the job by cementing everything up. Thus, later, coral larvae can settle on this newly stabilized real estate." Thank you, VincentNew Ocean-Inspired Designs from Walt Smith says:
[…] over 5 years ago, at the tail end of 2017, Fiji’s government unilaterally banned coral exports, leaving WSI with nothing more than fish and invertebrates to send to customers around the globe. […]CORAL New Issue “FREE THE FISHES” Inside Look says:
[…] of Contents for the May/June 2023 issue of CORAL Magazine. You can view this TOC online. “Is keeping a marine aquarium morally right? Is it ethically correct? Is it something we can […]Jon Gordon says:
Please sign this to support common sense rules in Florida. Ask Fish and Wildlife not to use an ill-advised whitelist of animals that can be kept. All you need to do is add your name to the following statement, "A viable option I support would be a list of prohibited species, which would be a much smaller, manageable and enforceable list than one that attempts to encompass all allowed species. " https://petadvocacy.org/advocacy-campaigns?vvsrc=%2FPetitions%2F3902%2FRespondBryce David says:
To whom it may concern, A whitelist approach to regulating which species are legally allowed to be obtained and traded will decimate fish farms and pet stores. This is not a well thought out approach for combating invasive species release into ecosystems. Best Management Practices have already made inroads on preventing the release of foreign invader species. I suggest a review of those practices and amend them if they are deemed to be insufficient. Sincerely, Bryce DavidEdward Moats says:
I urge you to consider the ramifications of losing a 172 million dollar industry in your state. I completely support the black list and agree that invasive species is a big concern. However , I feel that this bill is over reaching and will have a negative impact not only On the industry , but to Florida’s economy.