Email from one of my wholesaler. (i deleted their name out of it)
Hello Customers, vendors, and friends,
These past few weeks we’ve received an overwhelming number of questions regarding the possibility of the Hawaiian ornamental wild collection reopening. xxxx has been working closely with the Oceanic Institute of Hawaii for years prior to the closure and plan to continue the outstanding work with the institute to bring Hawaiian ornamentals to the aquarium industry. Due to recent articles and approval of the Environmental Impact Statement we’ve reached out to proper authorities close to the situation to clarify information found in those articles.
In short, the Hawaiian wild collection of Marine Ornamentals is not opening. Although the Impact statement was approved there is still an injunction in place that prevents the re-issue of collection permits. To lift the injunction, it would require additional legal proceedings which the authorities suggested could take months if not years. The approval for this Environmental Impact statement actually happened 1-1/2 years ago with no changes to collection.
We are going to continue to do what we do best and provide sustainable, healthy, hardy, aquacultured marine life to the aquarium trade around the world. We’ll keep you updated with any major changes surrounding any of the laws involving the trade or any of our other facilities. Until then, please be aware that any wild collection of endemic Hawaiian species entering the trade is still illegal and detracts from the Aquarium hobby as a whole.
If you have any and all questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at
[email protected]
