#for the fishes

The Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruled in a 4-1 decision today that the pet industry’s environmental review of commercial aquarium fish collection in West Hawai‘i is legally adequate.

The Hawaiʻi State Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Friday to reject a final environmental impact statement submitted by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council and aimed at reopening the aquarium pet trade on Oʻahu.

The State of Hawai’i Environmental Council issued a unanimous decision on Thursday effectively extending the ban aimed at reopening the collection of West Hawai’i reef fish for aquarium trade. The decision signaled a victory for reef advocates, many of whom expressed concern about the impacts of commercial aquarium collection on the ocean’s health for decades.

A $200 fine, plus court fees, was the sole penalty issued yesterday by the South Kohala Court against 1 of 2 defendants charged with poaching 550 reef fish for the aquarium pet trade.

After reviewing the applicant aquarium fishers’ proposal and testimony and deliberating for over four hours, the BLNR determined that the EIS did not adequately disclose the potential environmental impacts from the issuance of ten aquarium fishing permits for West Hawaiʻi.

Here on Maui, the contentious issue of aquarium fishing in Hawaiian waters has drawn the attention of marine advocacy groups. The Maui-based group, For the Fishes, claims the industry had led to a drastic decline in the populations of reef fish in unprotected areas, has caused coral reef degradation, and depleted populations of some species.

Demand for saltwater fish is what initially prompted the sale of the species in company stores. Now Petco has plans to remove Yellow Tangs from retail shops in the islands.