Collecting fish from Hawaii?

[Phildago]

As long as it's done ethically, I say go for it. There may be some practical issues you have to deal with but the value of that fish would be totally worth a little risk.

I took a small (maybe 0.5x0.25 cm or even a bit smaller) frag of some kind of encrusting coral from my honeymoon in Grenada and it's doing wonderfully. I'm sure that it was very illegal, but I collected it right before leaving for our flight home, kept it in a half filled water bottle in my dive bag along with some red coralline algae and it's now in my tank. It's really doing wonderfully and although very bland in color compared to my other corals it's genuinely one of my favorites in my tank.

I hope to have a tank 50 years from now with a massive rock covered in my honeymoon coral.

 

[Purplelobst92]

just go catch a fish on a rod and reel its super easy and its legal now exporting it is the illegal part im pretty sure only a few collectors are allowed to do this in the Hawaiian islands otherwise you would see this a lot more often, I work at an lfs and when we get Hawaiian shipments in they are far and few between....

 

[tehmadreefer]

Next episode of: I (almost) got away with it. The fishman!

Hahaha

 

[andrewkw]

Reading this thread all I could think about is how I'd never vacation in Hawaii due to the fish collecting bans and now someone wants to go there to collect their own fish.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Lol we're not going there to collect fish, it's just a cool idea we're pondering, and it's looking like it can be done legally which is awesome. If we can get a cool fish that would be great, if not then no big deal. Fishing with a pole for smaller reef fish isn't a bad idea either, I'd probably have better luck that way

 

[Phildago]

Lol we're not going there to collect fish, it's just a cool idea we're pondering, and it's looking like it can be done legally which is awesome. If we can get a cool fish that would be great, if not then no big deal. Fishing with a pole for smaller reef fish isn't a bad idea either, I'd probably have better luck that way

Yes, if you want a random larger fish it surely is. If you'd like to personally select a smaller fish I'd suggest a suction/slurp gun and collecting on a dive.

Trident Suction Slurp Gun buy at Scuba.com

Shop underwater sports, scuba diving & snorkeling gear. Get wetsuits, spearfishing & freediving equipment from brands like Cressi, Scubapro, Mares, Aqualung, Suunto & more.

www.scuba.com

It really wouldn't be an issue unless you had a dive guide that would be opposed to you collecting.

 

[John08007]

Haven't done it, found this link online: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/fishing/faqs/ and western HI rules https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/fishing...#west-hawaii-regional-fishery-management-area

Thats awesome, good reading. Never realized that you would be allowed to do that. I know what my goal is going to be if i ever go back to hawaii.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Reading this thread all I could think about is how I'd never vacation in Hawaii due to the fish collecting bans and now someone wants to go there to collect their own fish.

I'd love to vacay in Hawaii. Fish bans isn't the end of the world...

 

[albano]

As long as it's done ethically, I say go for it...

I took a small...frag of some kind of encrusting coral from my honeymoon in Grenada
I'm sure that it was very illegal...

very illegal = done ethically?
Hmmmmm

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

Check various rocky tide pools around the coast. Lots of juvi tangs, angels , butterfly easy to catch there and small size will adapt more readily to captivity.

 

[KrisReef]

As long as it's done ethically, I say go for it. There may be some practical issues you have to deal with but the value of that fish would be totally worth a little risk.

I took a small (maybe 0.5x0.25 cm or even a bit smaller) frag of some kind of encrusting coral from my honeymoon in Grenada and it's doing wonderfully. I'm sure that it was very illegal, but I collected it right before leaving for our flight home, kept it in a half filled water bottle in my dive bag along with some red coralline algae and it's now in my tank. It's really doing wonderfully and although very bland in color compared to my other corals it's genuinely one of my favorites in my tank.

I hope to have a tank 50 years from now with a massive rock covered in my honeymoon coral.

That's Yo Ho!

 

[Phildago]

very illegal = done ethically?
Hmmmmm

Well legal has nothing to do with ethical. I collected the small fragment from a rock on a man-made Beach. There was no natural ecosystem and the fragment was so small, it's the equivalent of somebody stepping on the coral I collected from (which people certainly did daily). So yes although transporting a live animal from one country to another is illegal, since I didn't harm the ecosystem it was collected from, didn't introduce any invasive species into my home ecosystem, and the specimen I transported survived to thrive I can say with certainty that it was done ethically.

I'd go as far to say that taking a well cut small frag from a natural ecosystem or taking a small piece blowing around on the ocean floor can be done ethically as well. We know very well from our tanks that if you cut a good frag the spot where coral heals will very often branch into multiple segments that can lead to accelerated growth. So I don't see why not.

Also, it's certainly more ethical than the majority of the corals that are imported and we buy in stores. Even though we can't see how our corals are collected, we can't pretend like our consumption didn't leave some sea creatures without a home.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Well legal has nothing to do with ethical. I collected the small fragment from a rock on a man-made Beach. There was no natural ecosystem and the fragment was so small, it's the equivalent of somebody stepping on the coral I collected from (which people certainly did daily). So yes although transporting a live animal from one country to another is illegal, since I didn't harm the ecosystem it was collected from, didn't introduce any invasive species into my home ecosystem, and the specimen I transported survived to thrive I can say with certainty that it was done ethically.

I'd go as far to say that taking a well cut small frag from a natural ecosystem or taking a small piece blowing around on the ocean floor can be done ethically as well. We know very well from our tanks that if you cut a good frag the spot where coral heals will very often branch into multiple segments that can lead to accelerated growth. So I don't see why not.

Also, it's certainly more ethical than the majority of the corals that are imported and we buy in stores. Even though we can't see how our corals are collected, we can't pretend like our consumption didn't leave some sea creatures without a home.

I wish I could 'like' this comment twice!

 

[KrisReef]

I wish I could 'like' this comment twice!

Let me help you then

 

[tehmadreefer]

Well legal has nothing to do with ethical. I collected the small fragment from a rock on a man-made Beach. There was no natural ecosystem and the fragment was so small, it's the equivalent of somebody stepping on the coral I collected from (which people certainly did daily). So yes although transporting a live animal from one country to another is illegal, since I didn't harm the ecosystem it was collected from, didn't introduce any invasive species into my home ecosystem, and the specimen I transported survived to thrive I can say with certainty that it was done ethically.

I'd go as far to say that taking a well cut small frag from a natural ecosystem or taking a small piece blowing around on the ocean floor can be done ethically as well. We know very well from our tanks that if you cut a good frag the spot where coral heals will very often branch into multiple segments that can lead to accelerated growth. So I don't see why not.

Also, it's certainly more ethical than the majority of the corals that are imported and we buy in stores. Even though we can't see how our corals are collected, we can't pretend like our consumption didn't leave some sea creatures without a home.

Tell an actual LEO/judge it was ethical so it was ok to commit a crime,lol.

 

[Phildago]

Tell an actual LEO/judge it was ethical so it was ok to commit a crime,lol.

Well that was a personal decision that I made. I was okay with taking the risk legally, not everybody would be, but for me it was worth it. I have a living memory from my honeymoon.

Just a side point though. Many places allow personal/ethical collecting that would be otherwise illegal. I know for certain that places (for example Florida) have strict guidelines for ethical collecting.

 

[KrisReef]

Yup, the ethical and legal issues have been a tricky line since we got kicked from The Garden.

We are still responsible to take care and to follow the governments' laws.

I remember years ago on a collect-vacation (long before 9/11) we spent 2 weeks snorkeling and collecting loose frags and a few baseball sized colonies. We left at night. We went to the airport with our regular luggage and a funky 40-pound backpack containing a water change and a number of large fragments and a couple of live clams and what ever else I was dragging back from the lagoons around an island. My wife was certain I was going to get in trouble for the haul, and since she was nervous the airport security did ask to see what was in the bag. She lost all her color and got wobbly in the knees while I casually opened the bag and started removing treasure-filled bags of water and souvenirs from the reef. The security guard smiled and said; "For your aquarium, that's really nice!"

Other people were looking at us funny but that's the way things were back then.

If you travel you need to be aware of the native understanding of what is ok and what is not. Hawaii has been leaning towards commercial fishing bans to protect their sacred lands. Going there to chip coral and catch fish might work out great or you might run into someone who doesn't share our enthusiasm for reef keeping.

Hawaii Senate Bill language moved to the House but did not come out of committee. I don't know if it is dead, but the preamble I've copied below.

THE SENATE THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019 STATE OF HAWAII 93 1 S.B. NO. s.D.~ A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MARINE AQUARIUM FISHING. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII: SECTION 1. The legislature finds that kanaka maoli values such as living in harmony and balance with nature, malama ‘Sina, kuleana for the surrounding environment, the concept of aloha ‘Sina, and other Native Hawaiian traditional and customary gathering rights and cultural practices are the foundation of the constitution of the State of Hawaii’s mandates related to the conservation and management of natural resources. The commercial aquarium trade is contrary to these native Hawaiian values, traditional and customary gathering rights, and other cultural practices.

Moratorium on aquarium fishing alive at Legislature - The Garden Island

KAILUA-KONA A bill that would have abolished aquarium fishing in Hawaii cleared its first committee Wednesday, but not before its purpose was significantly amended.

www.thegardenisland.com

The Pirates Code isn't the only law. Good luck and catch some great fish in HI.

 

[ScottR]

I grew up in Hawaii and from what I always understood, it’s perfectly legal to take fish from the ocean. There are protected areas but if you go out to the beach, it’s perfectly legal. I used to catch yellow tangs right off of rocks. Tons swimming right by the shore. Now getting a fish back to the mainland legally (and keeping it alive) is something else.

There are restrictions on fishing of certain fish of a certain size out of season. But I believe these types of fish would be way too big for our hobby.

 

[Purplelobst92]

Lol we're not going there to collect fish, it's just a cool idea we're pondering, and it's looking like it can be done legally which is awesome. If we can get a cool fish that would be great, if not then no big deal. Fishing with a pole for smaller reef fish isn't a bad idea either, I'd probably have better luck that way

look up shore fishing hawaii on youtube and there is plenty of videos of people catching wrasses, triggers, and the occasional goatfish.

 

[Cassian]

Ok, this thread has got me interested in this as well. Lol
Would you have to be a scuba diver to do this?