Hawaii: Groups want to Ban All Fishing

[Stan Wright]

My friend Dean Sensui sent me this.....  This should give you an idea what we're up against out here.  This isn't the first kind of fishing they have attacked.

I was at a hearing tonight regarding proposed regulations on aquarium fish collectors. Bag limits and gear restrictions were spelled out.

The first 5 or 6 people testifying were clearly against the regulations. Not because they wanted the fishery wide open. They want it shut down. To put it precisely, they want to stop anyone from taking fish out of our waters.

Not just aquarium fish. ALL fish.

This included "Snorkel" Bob, Keiko Bonk, representatives from Sea Shepherd, PITA, Earth Justice and the Center for Biological Diversity.

So an alert to all our fishing friends: Please support the fight the aquarium collection businesses face in an upcoming lawsuit.

During the hearing a couple of marine biologists talked about how having an aquarium inspired them to take up a career in marine biology. Dr. Andrew Rossiter of the Waikiki Aquarium said it is a powerful educational tool for the next generation.

And as one said during the hearing, it doesn't matter if fish are being taken as food or as pets. It's still taking fish from the sea. And that's what these people want to stop. We're no different from the folks who provide fish for expensive glass tanks.

If well-funded special interests can stop a small group from catching fish for aquariums, it's just a small step to stopping everyone from catching fish at all.

Let's all take this seriously. It's an assault against an important way of life. And puts at risk of our islands' food security.