Aquarium collecting for the U.S. mainland aquarium hobby has decimated Hawaii reefs. Learn about the impacts and what you can do to help protect Hawaii reefs and wildlife from the aquarium trade.

1. The Case for
Ending Hawaii’s
Reef Wildlife Trade
A Review of the Impacts
“…fish left on the reef benefit the reef,
as well as Hawaii’s economy.”
-March 2008 Legislative findings by the
Hawai`i State Senate in SB 3225
ForTheFishes.org
January 2013
1

2. Taking coral in Hawai`i is illegal.
Even rocks are fully protected.
But coral reef wildlife is taken in limitless numbers by
aquarium collectors.
2

3. U.S. Consumer
demand
11 million
reef fish imported
each year…
to stock an estimated 1.2
million U.S. household &
public display aquariums.
3

4. Hawaii
#1 Philippines #2 Indonesia #3 Hawaii

5. Hawaii
GREAT BARRIER
REEF
Volume from Hawaii is higher than Australia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga,
French Polynesia and Kiribati reefs, combined.

6. 1976 Top 10
1953
• First AQ collecting permits issued
1973
• Concerns grow and AQ moratorium
discussed
1980 – 1994
• 3 storms damage shallow reefs
• Fish migrate
• Collectors follow & focus efforts
• Commercial collapse
6

7. 403/413 = Makaha/Kaena
402/412 = Barber’s/Maile Pt.
401 = Ewa Beach
Collectors forced
to shift to other
species, including
“…these declines undoubtedly reflect low numbers
invertebrates;
of [small] yellow tangs on the reefs…” other islands,
rapidly expanding
on the Kona coast,
The Commercial Marine Aquarium Fishery in Hawai‘i, 1976-2003
Big Island.
William J. Walsh, Stephen S.P. Cotton, Jan Dierking and Ivor D. Williams 7

8. Ave. Catch Ave. Catch 2011 Ave. %
Species 1976 - 1980 since 2001 Catch Decline
Longnose Butterflyfish 5,082 0 0 -100%
Forcepsfish 3,976 1,834 1,320 -54%
Teardrop Butterflyfish 2,616 228 146 -91%
Fourspot Butterflyfish 2,915 439 250 -85%
Multiband Butterflyfish 2,642 1,147 696 -57%
Milletseed Butterflyfish 2,825 1,638 1,443 -42%
Bluestripe Butterflyfish 2,226 412 768 -81%
Bandit Angelfish since 2007 1,380 227 **493 -84%
Psychedelic Wrasse 3,306 1,060 1,094 -68%
Yellow Tang 73% ‘81-’03 22,835 10,197 **19,581 -55%
Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse 1,855 749 485 -60%
Moorish Idol 2,736 1,387 957 -49%
8

9. Dr. Gail Grabowksy’s Reef Survey’s:
AQ fish are rare everywhere compared to Hanuama Bay
True even for Pupukea and Coconut island in Kaneohe Bay
90%
9
Gail Grabowsky (2011)

10. Fishery:
Achieve maximum sustainable yield
All animals considered dead, once taken
Ecosystem roles & socio-economic values ignored
Wildlife as Pets:
Universally discouraged/prohibited
Carries legal and ethical responsibilities
Provide life sustaining care
No harm, injury, killing without need
Coral Reef Animals:
Play essential & fundamental roles in ecosystem
Have high aesthetic, recreational, cultural values
10

11. Healthy coral reefs are essential to the
socio-economic well-being of Hawaii’s residents
Educational For future generations
Social, Recreational Economic
Cultural & Spiritual $34 billion / yr value
Biological, Ecological $800 million/yr revenue
Physical (protect
coastal areas; food..)
HCRI, NOAA – Economic Value of Hawaii’s Nearshore Reef;
NOAA 2011 Survey 11

12. USCRTF: “Severe overfishing for the aquarium trade
exists even in the United States.”
The aquarium trade:
Significantly alters the ecosystem
Takes essential algae & parasite eating fish
Depletes wildlife
Reduces biodiversity
Damages and breaks coral
Focuses on Hawaii’s most beautiful & unique species
*What Do We Know About Coral Reefs, International Trade in Coral Reef Animals and
the Urgent Nee for Action?, U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. 12

13. Aquarium trade a main cause of
coral reef degradation.
Major impacts on Hawaii Island
and Oahu.
Other impacts include:
Alien species
Sedimentation
Pollution
Climate Change!
Ocean acidification! 13

14. Food web disruption
Interference with complex ecosystem
Significantly alters densities/ratios
High biodiversity key to stability
Ecosystem services / Niche species
Herbivores keep algae in check
Cleaner wrasse removes
parasites
14

15. What happens to reefs that lose
too many herbivores?
80% of fish collected are herbivores.
“…[herbivore ] removal can result
in algal overgrowth of coral and
catastrophic shifts in the ecosystem.”
-2007 U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Working Group
15

16. Coral is broken and damaged when:
Nets entangle it when set or retrieved
Material is laid over it to block access to refuge
Sticks are hit against it to herd fish into nets or out of hiding
Equipment is set in it.
Fins and legs kick it
Anchors and chains land in it
Collection vessel
anchored in Kohala
coast coral 2/15/11.
Collector’s bucket
and scooter in the
coral 2/15/11.
(DLNR, 1998; Stevenson, 2011) 16

17. Coral is broken and damaged when:
Collectors break it apart to get at hiding fish or attached invertebrates
“Collection of attached reef invertebrates like Feather Duster Worms,
often is done by breaking apart the reef structure”*
Between 1967 – 2003, this animal was the second
most collected marine species, after the Yellow Tang.
*Clark, Athline M. and Gulko, Dave (1999). Hawaii’s State of the Reefs Report, 1998.
Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu, Hawaii 41 pp. 17

18. Hermit crabs are essential to the ecosystem.
They are detritus feeders and scavengers
keeping the ecosystem ‘clean’.
Reported take in 2000: 46,968
2001 – 2007 average annual reported take:
Calcinus laurentae by John Hoover
245,000
“[Collection] will doom the hermit crab population Average since 2007:
in any given area.” – Dr. Ernie Reese, retired UH Zoology
Professor 84,000 / yr
“…the population could crash.” – John Hoover, author of
Hawaii’s Sea Creatures
18

19. Catch Report Graph
102,723 reef fish
118,331 creatures
Catch Reports Never Verified w/ Actual
Recent estimates: catch is underreported by half*.
Zeller et al. 2005 19

20. Hawaii
Oahu: 103,000 fish
42 collectors
GBR: 134,000 fish
34 collectors
Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world; immensely larger and
several times more diverse and abundant than Oahu’s reefs.
Oahu reported aquarium trade is 75% of the Great Barrier Reefs.
20

21. Endemism: the ecological state of being unique to a place
At 23 percent, Hawaii’s reefs have the highest rate of endemism on Earth.
21

22. 1. Potter’s Angelfish
2. Multiband Butterflyfish
3. Milletseed Butterflyfish
4. Hawaiian White-Spotted Toby
5. Psychedelic Wrasse
6. Saddle Wrasse
7. Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse
8. Blue-Striped Butterflyfish
9. Hawaiian Dascyllus
“… there is no replacement pool for many of the
targeted species, should over collection or a
habitat shift occur, as a result of the marine
ornamental trade.”
Hawaii Audubon Society. 2004. “The Marine Aquarium Trade in the Western Hemisphere and the Indo-pacific Region.” 32pp
22

23. Goals:
Protect current populations
Establish further populations to reduce the risk of extinction
Native / endemic species threatened by the aquarium trade:
23

24. Center for Biological Diversity just petitioned
NOAA to list 8 fish species, including the
endemic Hawaiian Damselfish
Climate change impacts on their
habitats.
Ocean acidification impairs larval
damselfish smell, vision, learning,
behavior, and brain function.
Hawaiian Damselfish are
Leads to higher risk of mortality
highly dependent on branching
“Potentially catastrophic” long-term corals.
future of coral reef- dependent fishes
Hawaii’s branching corals are
most susceptible to bleaching
and sedimentation.
24

25. Threats to ALL Native Species
Extreme Selective Harvesting
Juveniles in 1” – 4” range
Mature Males w/Distinct color
Can Lead to:
Interrupted Food Chains
Reproductive Failure
Altered Habitat
Fisheries use Minimum Size Limits, Allowable Catch / Bag
Limits, Permit Limits
These Standards are Absent from Hawaii Collection Rules
*From Ocean to Aquarium – The Global Trade in Marine Ornamental Species, United Nations Environmental Program
**The Marine Aquarium Trade in the Western Hemisphere and Indo-Pacific Region. Impacts on coral reef ecosystems and a summary of governing
legal instruments and policy options, Hawaii Audubon, Bogiatto, et al. 2004 25

26. 2010
Z 403: 1,202
Z 402/412: 1,409
Z 401: 2,503
Adapted from: The Commercial Marine Aquarium Fishery in Hawai‘i, 1976-2003
William J. Walsh, Stephen S.P. Cotton, Jan Dierking and Ivor D. Williams 26

27. AQ trade goal: sell the wildlife before
it dies.
Collectors get paid on live delivery.
5% DOA industry shipping std.
Add’l 5% DAA / D03
27

28. Achilles Tang Psychedelic Wrasse
Each buyer in the COC assumes
the risk.
NO “Arrive Alive” guarantee at
online retail sites.
Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse
Multiband Butterflyfish Ornate Wrasse Fourspot Butterflyfish
Moorish Idol
Teardrop Butterflyfish Potter’s Angelfish Bluestripe Butterflyfish
27
28

29. Up to 40% of Hawaii’s wildlife dies
before reaching the hobbyist.
The Average Hobbyist:
Is a beginner who drops out within a
year.*
Causes astronomical death rates.**
Likely kills off most of their fish in the first
month of care from mistakes, inappropriate
tankmates, starvation...*
Hobby/trade authorities: *Bob Fenner and**Kieron Dodds 29

30. On a reef: Waikiki Aquarium:
Yellow Tangs can live for 40+ years Potter’s Angel: 14 years
(Bushnell & Claisse, 2007)
Sailfin Tang: 15 years
Bluespine unicornfish can achieve 58.
(HI Div. of Aquatic Resources)
Raccoon Butterflyfish: 22 years
Parrotfish: at least 33
(Choat & Robertson 2002) (Randall and Delbeek, Sept. 2009, from a list of species
that lived from 13 – 24 years at the Waikiki Aquarium.)
Household Aquarium:
Relatively few live more than a year in captivity.
(Bob Fenner, author, Conscientious Marine Aquarist)
30

31. Kona’s Ocean Rider captive-bred
seahorses easily survive 100X longer in
captivity than their wild-caught cousins,
who die within weeks.
Ocean Rider’s oldest seahorses, to
date, are 13 years old, more than
double the 5 year life span of their
species in the wild.
31

32. Fins and spines
are cut to avoid
extra packing
material costs.
Swim bladders pierced for faster surfacing Handling removes
protective mucous coating
Fish starved for 2 – 10
days prior to shipment.
With each shipment,
DOA’s are standard: up
to 5% can arrive dead
without chargeback to
shipper.
Starvation, stress and death continues
Another 4% will likely throughout the chain of custody.
die within days of arrival 32

33. State law generally prohibits harmful
trade practices.
Maui County’s 2011 landmark law
expressly prohibits collectors from:
Piercing swim bladders
Cutting fins/spines
Withholding food for more than 24 hours
for transport purposes
Transporting in a manner resulting in
injury or death.
33

34. “…asking permission prior to fishing, taking only what you need,
sharing your catch with your extended ‘ohana or community and
having respect for the sacredness of the process.” *
“…the livestock necessary to drive purchases of lucrative dry-goods.” **
“If we were to stop the importation of all wild-caught supply, we would
suffocate ourselves with a less-interested audience. No audience, no
money.“* **
* Brian Tissot, Washington State University,
Integral Marine Ecology: Community-Based Fishery Management in Hawaii, 2005
** Bob Fenner, trade expert/author defending the high mortalities on his website:
www.wetwebmedia.com/marlifeusebiz.htm (2009)
34
*** Pet Product News Editorial Blog: Sourcing from the Wild: Pro and Con, By Patrick Donston and David Lass (2102)

35. Degradation Waste Harm
…. If tanks were stocked with captive bred animals
Over 60 species of reef fish are commercially bred for aquaria
100% of global demand can be met by captive production.
35

36. Hawaii poll: vast majority support ending the trade:
66% statewide / 69% Big Island
Top 3 concerns:
Environmental Impact
Disrespect of native Hawaiian values
Cruel and inhumane treatment of reef wildlife
72% agree only captive-bred animals should be kept in
saltwater aquariums (Big Island poll)
36

37. Negative Impacts
Ecosystem
Socio-Economic
Wildlife
Employs Relatively Few Full Timers
Management & Enforcement Costs Far Exceed
Revenues from Fees and Taxes.
State Resource Use Policy
Resource protection is highest priority
Commercial use should only be allowed if doesn’t
impinge upon resource or use by general public.
31

38. Trade’s environmental harm is well documented
Environmental impacts never assessed, though required by HEPA
2010 DLNR Sought HEPA Exemption
Population Assessment estimated at $200,000 & 7 mo. / species
Equates to $52 million and 152 years in “man hours” for statewide
population assessments of the ~260 species taken by the trade
Population Assessment DOES NOT include ecosystem / environment
assessment
Earthjustice files lawsuit requiring state to comply with HEPA
32

39. Daily Bag Limit
Applies to just 8 of 260 species
Far exceeds annual reported take
Allow for limitless take because no cap on permit’s
Prohibit 3 Coral Eating Butterflyfish Spp.
No Demand:
50 ornate butterflyfish and zero
of the other two reported taken
since 1999.
Allow limitless take on all others, including:
High Demand:
Over 10,000 of these 3 coral
eating butterflyfish reported
taken since 1999. 39

40. Daily Bag Limit -- Would Apply to an Unlimited Number of Collectors
`76-`80 `01-`05 Proposed Limit
annual annual X 20 collectors
Species (Proposed Bag Limit) average average 2011 take X 156 days
1. Yellow Tang (100) 22,835 5,915 19,581 312,000
2. Kole (75) 1,755 6,188 14,723 234,000
3. Potter’s Angel (50) 7,824 6,099 11,977 156,000
4. Orangespine Unicorn (50) 5,579 3,317 3,716 156,000
5. Moorish Idol (25) 2,736 1,993 957 78,000
6. Achilles Tang (10) 1,255 677 396 31,200
7. Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse (6) 1,855 713 485 18,720
8. Bandit Angelfish > 5.5” (2) 1,380 70 493 6,240
Additional 200+ Species with Zero Limits 40

41. Enforcement?
Trade generates far less in taxes and fees than is required
for program administration, effective resource
management and enforcement
Ending the trade saves $$ for state / taxpayers
Federal Lacey Act is triggered when states protect wildlife
Illegal to sell or purchase protected wildlife
Federal FWS helps states with enforcement 41

42. 2007 – 2009: statewide legislative efforts limiting take are blocked
2010 – 2011: Maui County passes two landmark laws
Feb. 2011: statewide bill to end the trade statewide is introduced / blocked
• Overwhelming community support
• Call to end the trade continues to grow
June 2011: 16 community leaders meet with the Gov. requesting a ban.
Oct./Nov. 2011: Hawaii & Kauai County Councils Passes Resolutions to Ban
Ongoing: Letter/postcard campaign…. 2,000+
42

43. Legal
Suit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of citizens &
conservation groups (CCH, HSUS, CBD).
DLNR required to protect Hawaii reefs, conduct
environmental assessments on AQ trade impacts to
ecologically-valuable wildlife.
43

44. Administrative
New rules - BLNR decision-making expected soon
(Jan. 25?... Feb?...)
Twice monthly, Friday’s @ 9:00 AM
Meetings at Kalanimoku Bldg., 1151 Punchbowl St.
Seven day agenda notice!
44

45. Legislative
Leg. showing strong interest in 2013
Each bill can use testimony help up to 6 times, plus
outreach!
‘Bad’ bills need attention too!
45

46. 1) SPEAK WITH YOUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS. Tell them why you believe
Hawaii’s reef wildlife is needed here!
Humane Lobby Day Feb. 8
2) TESTIFY (in person, if possible!) at
every opportunity
Sign up for Action Alerts!
Attend rallies!
3) SPREAD THE WORD – many are
unaware of the trade and it’s impacts.
Submit LTE’s to local newspapers
46

47. 4) Captive Bred Only: ask aquarium owners
you know to stop buying wild caught animals:
there are 60+ captive bred species available
for purchase & no need to take wild ones!
5) Donate to support our efforts!
47

48. Together we CAN make a difference!
Mahalo!
48