04/09/2024
Aloha friends,
URGENT: YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO STOP THE RE-OPENING OF THE AQUARIUM FISH COLLECTION IN WEST HAWAII !!!
Submit testimony to the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) by THIS Thursday morning.
Testimony can be emailed to:
BLNR.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV
On December 8, 2023, the BLNR unanimously agreed to enact rules to close the aquarium pet trade statewide and directed the Division of Aquatic Resource (DAR) to begin that rule process and conduct public hearings.
Four months later, the DAR has not acted on the BLNR's direction.
Instead - this Friday - DAR will present a plan to the BLNR for re-opening West Hawai'i to commercial aquarium collection (Agenda Item F.2) and ask the BLNR for permission to entirely rewrite the rule they adopted unanimously so that it ALLOWS aquarium collection INSTEAD OF PROHIBITING IT - all under the guise of "seeking clarification" (Agenda Item F.2).
If DAR's efforts on behalf of the aquarium trade are not defeated this coming Friday, DAR plans to ask the BLNR (in May or June 2024) to issue AQ permits for West Hawai'i !!!!!!
Please submit testimony to the BLNR in strong OPPOSITION to DAR's plan to reopen our reefs to the destructive aquarium trade.
Email: BLNR.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV
Email Subject: April 12; Agenda Items F.2 and F.3 Testimony
Deadline for testimony: Thursday morning, April 11th
YOU can help protect coral reef wildlife 🐠 🐟
Mahalo nui loa ! 💙