That article is old news ... that issue has been discussed on for years
here.
The bottom line is overfishing of not just tropicals but big fish too ...
you rarely see any big fish here when diving anymore ... the aquarium
industry is not as powerful a lobby as the local fishing industry is ...
same old story ... tropical fish collectors are an easy target. You think
divers only come to see little colourful fish ... you don't think they'd
like to see huge schools of jacks, sharks, and other big fish? The
Northwest Hawaiian Islands are what the main Hawaiian Islands used to be
like a 100 years ago.
The state regulatory system is also to blame ... Hawaii is the only state
in the country where the legislature makes the natural resource
regulations, I think the local DLNR is the second or third least funded in
the US, they are understaffed ... the list goes on and on.
As for the spike in yellow tangs in both protected and unprotected waters
... that sort of data can be misleading. For the first three years the
numbers for several species dropped in the protected areas, for some
species the numbers actually went up in the unprotected areas. Fish
recruitment from the plankton is cyclical and unpredictable, what protected
areas DO provide are refuges where these newly settled fish can settle,
grow and breed. Get the papers and examine the data for yourself if you
want the real story.
Protected areas are a good thing, don't get me wrong, and there should be
many more of them, as been shown in just about every country that has
instituted them.
One of the guys at DLNR talked to me about helping set up a regulation
system for collection permits similar to what is done with collectors in
Australia, where the number of permits is tightly regulated, that was after
the first Marine Ornamentals in 1999; never heard about that again.
Aloha!
J. Charles Delbeek M.Sc.
Aquarium Biologist III
Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI, USA 96815
www.waquarium.org
808-923-9741
808-923-1771 FAX
Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216.661.6500 ext 4485
"Who hears the fishes when they cry?"
Henry Thoreau--1817-1862
><)> -----Original Message-----
><)> From: owner-nanfa-l at nanfa.org
><)> [owner-nanfa-l at nanfa.org]On Behalf
><)> Of Nick Zarlinga
><)> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 5:29 PM
><)> To: nanfa-l at nanfa.org
><)> Subject: RE: NANFA-L-- hawai collecting
><)>
><)>
><)> I sent an inquirery to my Hawaiian counterparts
><)> for comments. I'll forward
><)> them here.
><)>
><)> Nick Zarlinga
><)> Aquarium Biologist
><)> Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
><)> 216.661.6500 ext 4485
><)>
><)>
><)> "Who hears the fishes when they cry?"
><)> Henry Thoreau--1817-1862
><)>
><)>
><)> ><)> -----Original Message-----
><)> ><)> From: owner-nanfa-l at nanfa.org
><)> ><)> [owner-nanfa-l at nanfa.org]On Behalf
><)> ><)> Of dlmcneely at lunet.edu
><)> ><)> Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 2:30 PM
><)> ><)> To: nanfa-l at nanfa.org
><)> ><)> Subject: NANFA-L-- hawai collecting
><)> ><)>
><)> ><)>
><)> ><)> I know little about tropical marine fish
><)> ><)> conservation except what I
><)> ><)> read in general sources, but I
><)> thought some of you
><)> ><)> might know more and
><)> ><)> be able to speak to the veracity of this cnn
><)> ><)> article. Interesting.
><)> ><)>
><)> ><)>
><)> http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/10/10/harvesti
><)> ><)> ng.nemo.ap/index.html
><)> ><)>
><)> ><)> Dave
><)> ><)>
><)> ><)> David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
><)> ><)> Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
><)> ><)> Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely at lunet.edu
><)> ><)> telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
><)> ><)> home page
><)> http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm
><)> ><)>
><)> ><)> "Where are we going?" "I don't know,
><)> are we there yet?"
><)> ><)>
><)> /--------------------------------------------------
><)> ><)> ---------------------
><)> ><)> / This is the discussion list of the North
><)> ><)> American Native Fishes
><)> ><)> / Association (NANFA). Comments made
><)> on this list
><)> ><)> do not necessarily
><)> ><)> / reflect the beliefs or goals of
><)> NANFA. For more
><)> ><)> information about NANFA,
><)> ><)> / visit http://www.nanfa.org Please
><)> make sure all
><)> ><)> posts to nanfa-l are
><)> ><)> / consistent with the guidelines as per
><)> ><)> / http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To
><)> ><)> subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
><)> ><)> / help, visit the NANFA email list
><)> home page and archive at
><)> ><)> / http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml
><)> ><)>
><)> ><)>
><)> /--------------------------------------------------
><)> ---------------------
><)> / This is the discussion list of the North
><)> American Native Fishes
><)> / Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list
><)> do not necessarily
><)> / reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more
><)> information about NANFA,
><)> / visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all
><)> posts to nanfa-l are
><)> / consistent with the guidelines as per
><)> / http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To
><)> subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
><)> / help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
><)> / http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml
><)>
><)>
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/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
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