Where did all the reef fish go? Millions of them left Hawai‘i for the Mainland, Asia and Europe, scooped up by fish collectors to be sold all over the world to go into home aquariums.
Finally, someone is doing something to stop this pillage of Hawai‘i’s oceans with Senate Bill 3225, which would limit the number of fish taken by unscrupulous collectors. These fish are not only important to Hawai‘i’s visitor industry, but to the well being of the dying coral reefs. These little guys feed on algae, and in their absence, the algae overpower coral reefs. In addition, some collectors physically destroy the coral in their effort to corral a large number of fish quickly. Once the fish are extinguished, they just move on to another tropical location, as it’s all about the money.
The Senate’s Water and Land Committee unanimously passed the bill last week, and next it goes before Roz Baker’s Ways & Means Committee. Please contact her (toll-free at 984-2400 + 66070 or email senbaker@Capitol.hawaii.gov) and ask that this vital bill be heard and passed by her committee, while there still are some fish and reefs to save.
For additional information, see www.savehawaiianreefs.org.