SUPPORT HB2154 to end the aquarium fish trade

Protect Hawai‘i’s reef life from the commercial aquarium fish trade!

HB2154- ending the commercial harvest of marine life for the aquarium pet trade has been scheduled for a hearing this Thursday, Feb. 6th at 9:15 AM (agenda here). This bill is the highest priority issue for our Hawai‘i Island members. Your testimony in support of HB2154 – describing why you want to protect Hawaii’s marine life – can be submitted at capitol.hawaii.gov.

Last year, hundreds of thousands of marine animals were taken from Hawai‘i's reefs for the aquarium pet trade despite the 2017 Hawai‘i Supreme Court Ruling that led to the invalidation and prohibition of aquarium permits and without the court ordered environmental review.

How? Because DLNR is allowing the aquarium trade to harvest our marine life without proper review, as long as the trade claims they aren't using prohibited gear. There are no limits on the numbers of marine animals that can be taken, and the trade proposed no limits in their recently filed and extremely flawed Draft Environmental Impact Study.

Hawai‘i residents and communities have long called for a complete end to the trade for decades because of environmental concerns and the trade's numerous conflicts with local and cultural values. In the last 45 years, every statewide law regulating this wildlife trade has ignored these longstanding issues and allowed the continued take of unlimited numbers of these animals.

Simply put: Hawai‘i's reefs NEED these creatures, now more than ever before. Reducing the impacts of ocean heat waves and coral bleaching and loss requires greater resilience, and increasing abundance of important species. YOU can help make this happen.

Please take 5 minutes to testify now IN SUPPORT of HB2154, banning commercial aquarium collecting in Hawai'i.

Mahalo to For the Fishes for providing this action alert and the talking points below: