What is ACTUALLY going on with Hawaii fish?

[Sashaka]

following

 

[Sashaka]

Just a quick comment. There are two LFS in my area. One store has doubled the price of his 3" to 4" yellow tangs from just a week ago. The other store is still selling his yellow tangs for the same price. If my understanding of the new regulations are true based on this conversation thread, then only fish 2" and under should get the price mark up, right? I can see how some businesses will start taking advantage of the uninformed. Consumers beware!

 

[Pmanfria]

I can confirm this, my LFS has doubled the price of all yellow tangs because they are harder to get now they say. Which by what I'm reading isn't true and wouldn't take affect that quickly. They raised their price the next day and said it was because of a ban on all fish from Hawaii. They are also the largest volume LFS in the state so it's not like they don't have connections in the industry.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Prices on yellow tangs should have only risen $1-3 dollars, as wholesalers are raising yellow tang prices $1 per fish to donate to PIJAC to help with legal expenses and to get funds for the study.

Most scientists that have looked into the available data confirm the sustainability of the Hawaiian ornamental fish trade.

 

[Elegance Coral]

Some retailers may have freaked out because one of the largest, if not the largest, wholesalers in the country did not list yellow tangs on their site a few days ago. While this isn't unheard of, it is rare for them to not have yellow tangs, and the timing leads people to question future availability. Everyone I've talked to in the industry is thinking the price of yellow tangs, and other Hawaiian fish, will go up, at the very minimum. This is causing a large demand right now. If the collectors find a way to keep going, all of this will just be a temporary boost in sales and profits. If not...... Well....... Get your Hawaiian fish while you can.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

Just a quick comment. There are two LFS in my area. One store has doubled the price of his 3" to 4" yellow tangs from just a week ago. The other store is still selling his yellow tangs for the same price. If my understanding of the new regulations are true based on this conversation thread, then only fish 2" and under should get the price mark up, right? I can see how some businesses will start taking advantage of the uninformed. Consumers beware!

I can confirm this, my LFS has doubled the price of all yellow tangs because they are harder to get now they say. Which by what I'm reading isn't true and wouldn't take affect that quickly. They raised their price the next day and said it was because of a ban on all fish from Hawaii. They are also the largest volume LFS in the state so it's not like they don't have connections in the industry.

Those LFS just abusing the situation to jack up the price, my LFS last week just have a batch (100+) of 2 inches and smaller yellow tangs shipment and still selling at same price.

 

[siggy]

Achilles tangs still out of stock been trying to get one but the yellows are available at the same price @Drs F&S

All anyone has to do is look at our history of resource management. After the Atlantic Cod crash we moved to Orange Roughy with NO science or bag limits that crashed. Only after Several Failed Fisheries & economies did Aqua Farming become Viable and Now Tilapia is the Most readily available and lucrative to those who adapted.

Living in the Great Lakes region our fisheries are in trouble due to invasive species that have totally altered & changed the ecosystem, it will never be the same. Yesterday on NPR a Professor from Michigan Tech hinted at a future Aquatic Desert

Hats off to those fighting to preserve Or at least get some funding to Scientifically review and examine the impact of Commercial collecting practises.

Maybe they can make a giant trap box to drop down in the reef.

Alaskan King Crabs crashed in the 80's with that approach, for every pound of crab collected a pound was crushed by the crab pots. I would think in this case the fish traps would crush Corals and other marine life.

I stopped using rhino horn a long time ago

Just curious, does that really work as advertized ? Got to be cheaper than those NEW Hawaiian Ultra Unicorn Tangs.

 

[James Kanouff]

I don't think our Saltwater hobby, currently, negatively effects the ocean as a whole on any measurable level. I have a yellow tang. It has been with me for about 5 yrs. It was with another owner before that for several years. I expect many more years with him if I care for him properly. I have adopted my own full 200 gallon private M.A.R.S. quarantine system due to so many losses/ risks of wild fish incoming for my tanks. Sounds like the days of dropping in a 15-20$ fish and hoping he survives are gone. The future of Aquacultured fish, better collection, transport, disease management, and accountability may be coming fast. I fear some species that have a shorter life span and are necessary for my reef tanks bio diversity and health may directly suffer, and possibly stress or kill many of my otherwise successful healthy species due to the unavailable or highly priced "species" we need. Who here sustains a reef tank full of coral "some strains possibly millions of years old" and no fish? Who here has a six line wrasse thats over six yrs old? Who here leaves the bag of new fish on the porch or in the car for a few extra hours while they eat dinner or watch the news. None of us do. Who here thinks the collectors never use cyanid anymore? Who here thinks fishermen ethically handle each chromis as if it were any other fish they were collecting. The reality is there is room for improvement. The cost is gonna go up. The sky is the limit for many of the fisherman and common sense regulations balanced with science based regulations unfortunately are required to keep things sustainable. For the most part, the fishermen don't care about fish, they care about money. The hobbyist doesn't care about money, they care about fish. The two are very far apart. There in lies a big part of the problem in my opinion.

 

[chicago]

following..

 

[4FordFamily]

Most scientists that have looked into the available data confirm the sustainability of the Hawaiian ornamental fish trade.

But feelings and politics over facts!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I don't think our Saltwater hobby, currently, negatively effects the ocean as a whole on any

Where is your data to support this.

Current scientific studies show major environmental impacts to sea life on all of our coasts just due to commercial fishing

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

But feelings and politics over facts!

Where is that data so we can make the decision.

 

[EJReef]

Some retailers may have freaked out because one of the largest, if not the largest, wholesalers in the country did not list yellow tangs on their site a few days ago. While this isn't unheard of, it is rare for them to not have yellow tangs, and the timing leads people to question future availability. Everyone I've talked to in the industry is thinking the price of yellow tangs, and other Hawaiian fish, will go up, at the very minimum. This is causing a large demand right now. If the collectors find a way to keep going, all of this will just be a temporary boost in sales and profits. If not...... Well....... Get your Hawaiian fish while you can.

Yellow tangs have been successfully bred In captivity

 

[eatbreakfast]

Where is your data to support this.

Current scientific studies show major environmental impacts to sea life on all of our coasts just due to commercial fishing

The methods used for commercial food fish, the size and species targeted and the volume captured are all more detrimental by far than ornamental fish collecting.

Where is that data so we can make the decision.

The Hawaiian DNR releases their survey data every year.

 

[4FordFamily]

Where is that data so we can make the decision.

Who knows— little objective is provided, anymore

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The methods used for commercial food fish, the size and species targeted and the volume captured are all more detrimental by far than ornamental fish collecting.

The Hawaiian DNR releases their survey data every year.

Do you have that info by chance or the link I find it?

Honestly I think that's what we're looking for here in the thread.

If there are other independent studies done that would be good as well.

Who knows— little objective is provided, anymore

Most of the admittedly few wildlife surveys I've seen are are pretty black and white. How many years , how many animals. Etc.

 

[Forsaken77]

Achilles tangs still out of stock been trying to get one but the yellows are available at the same price @Drs F&S

All anyone has to do is look at our history of resource management. After the Atlantic Cod crash we moved to Orange Roughy with NO science or bag limits that crashed. Only after Several Failed Fisheries & economies did Aqua Farming become Viable and Now Tilapia is the Most readily available and lucrative to those who adapted.

Living in the Great Lakes region our fisheries are in trouble due to invasive species that have totally altered & changed the ecosystem, it will never be the same. Yesterday on NPR a Professor from Michigan Tech hinted at a future Aquatic Desert

Hats off to those fighting to preserve Or at least get some funding to Scientifically review and examine the impact of Commercial collecting practises.


Alaskan King Crabs crashed in the 80's with that approach, for every pound of crab collected a pound was crushed by the crab pots. I would think in this case the fish traps would crush Corals and other marine life.


Just curious, does that really work as advertized ? Got to be cheaper than those NEW Hawaiian Ultra Unicorn Tangs.

I didn't mean dropping traps off of boats and let them land where they may. I was referring to strategically placed boxes by divers. Completely different than crab pots. Then, at a later time (next day), come back and retrieve it.

I used to work on a lobster boat, so I'm very familiar with the method. Definitely wasn't what I was suggesting

 

[Forsaken77]

Just out of curiosity... What is the fine for not listening to these rules? Say a diver goes down with 2 nets... One with small mesh and the other a 2" mesh. If the Coast Guard, or whoever, pulls up, the diver can leave the small mesh net down below and come up with the legit net. Just sayin...

 

[dale sarver]

Figure out how to breed them- the more responsible thing to do.

That is easy to say but very difficult to do. Marine reef fish are hard to do, especially on a large scale that will be necessary to replace wild caught. We grew flame angels some years back and nobody wanted to pay the extra cost when they could just buy imported wild ones from overseas, even if they were inferior. Until imports of aquarium species are outlawed and consumers are willing to pay much more the culture will not be able to survive.

 

[4FordFamily]

That is easy to say but very difficult to do. Marine reef fish are hard to do, especially on a large scale that will be necessary to replace wild caught. We grew flame angels some years back and nobody wanted to pay the extra cost when they could just buy imported wild ones from overseas, even if they were inferior. Until imports of aquarium species are outlawed and consumers are willing to pay much more the culture will not be able to survive.

Unfortunately there’s lots of evidence that captive grown have a much higher carbon footprint and negative impact.