SUPPORT HB2101 HD1 SD1: Stop Commercial Aquarium Collection
/March 30 Update
Previous versions of HB2101 HD1 SD1 would have stopped the ecologically and culturally harmful commercial aquarium industry from being reopened on Hawaiʻi Island, after having been shut down since 2017. Although it now only prohibits commercial aquarium collection on Oʻahu, with amendments, this bill could once again make clear that our reefs should not be exploited for the profit-driven aquarium trade. This measure is being heard on Thursday, April 2, at 9:20am in Capitol room 229, before the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary Committees (watch online here).
Sample testimony for HB2101 HD1 SD1
Aloha Chair Keohokālole, Chair Rhoads, Vice Chair Fukunaga, Vice Chair Gabbard, and members of the Committees,
My name is [your name], and I SUPPORT HB2101 HD1 SD1 WITH AMENDMENTS to reinstate the original statewide ban on commercial aquarium collection.
After years of controversy and concern, including from Native Hawaiian subsistence fishing communities, the aquarium collection industry was shut down by court order in 2017 and has remained closed for nearly a decade. However, the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is poised to reopen West Hawaiʻi’s waters through proposed rules it claims are required under current law. This bill is a critical opportunity to make clear in statute that Hawaiʻi’s waters should not be reopened to the ornamental aquarium trade, in West Hawaiʻi or anywhere else across our island chain.
While I appreciate the intent of the current draft, limiting a commercial aquarium collection ban to Oʻahu—and only temporarily—falls short of the protections our reefs and communities need. The imminent reopening of West Hawaiʻi’s waters to aquarium collection in particular calls for the legislature to expand the current prohibitions of this measure beyond Oʻahu, to apply permanently to all waters of Hawaiʻi.
Reef fish, especially herbivorous species targeted by collectors, are essential to healthy coral reefs that protect our shorelines, support food systems, and sustain cultural and subsistence practices. When the industry was active, the removal of hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of reef fish each year had disproportionate impacts on reef health, particularly in West Hawaiʻi. This in turn undermined ecological balance, cultural practices, food systems, and myriad other public interests in our aquatic public trust resources.
With our reefs - and coral reefs worldwide - growing ever more vulnerable to irreversible collapse, we should not be inviting back an industry with such a history of harm, and that could further stress our reef ecosystems beyond the point of no return.
Communities across Hawaiʻi have consistently called for stronger, lasting protections of our nearshore waters—not a return of harmful industries like the aquarium trade. It is far past time for the legislature to finally reflect the will of the majority of concerned constituents, and to put an end to the commercial aquarium collection industry in Hawaiʻi, once and for all.
Accordingly, I respectfully urge the Committees to strengthen this bill by reinstating a statewide, permanent ban on commercial aquarium collection.
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Testimony instructions
Register for a capitol website account if you haven't yet (you'll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email)
Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.
Enter “HB2101” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."
Input your information, select “SUPPORT” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure," write or copy/paste your testimony. No verbal testimony will be accepted.
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March 25 Update
HB2101 HD1 passed out of the Senate Hawaiian Affairs and Water, Land, Culture and the Arts on March 24. This measure would have stopped the ecologically and culturally harmful commercial aquarium industry on Hawaiʻi Island from being re-started, after nearly a decade-long shutdown. As amended, this bill would now only ban commercial aquarium collection in the waters off of Oʻahu, and only until the Division of Aquatic Resources is complete with its Holomua Marine Initiative.
Mahalo nui to the 192 individuals and organizations who submitted testimony in support and special thanks to Chairs Lee and Richards and Vice Chair Inouye and Lamosao for keeping this measure alive.
March 21 Update
HB2101 HD1 would stop the ecologically and culturally harmful commercial aquarium industry on Hawaiʻi Island, already shut down since 2017, from being re-started under pending rules proposed by the state Division of Aquatic Resources. This measure is being heard on Tuesday, March 24, at 1:01pm in Capitol room 224, before the Senate Water, Land, Culture and the Arts and Hawaiian Affairs Committees.
March 4 Update
HB2101 HD1 was passed unamended by the House Finance Committee on March 3. This measure would stop the ecologically and culturally harmful commercial aquarium industry on Hawaiʻi Island, already shut down since 2017, from being restarted under pending rules proposed by the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources.
Mahalo nui to the over 255 individuals and organizations who submitted testimony in support and special thanks to Chair Todd and Vice Chair Takenouchi for passing this measure.
February 28 Update
HB2101 HD1 would stop the ecologically and culturally harmful commercial aquarium industry on Hawaiʻi Island, already shut down since 2017, from being re-started under pending rules proposed by the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources. This measure is being heard on Monday, March 2, at 10am in Capitol Conference Room 308 by the House Finance Committee (to be broadcast live on Youtube here).
Sample Testimony for HB2101 HD1
Aloha Chair Lee, Chair Richards, Vice Chair Inouye, Vice Chair Lamosao, and members of the Committees,
My name is [your name] and I STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2101 HD1.
After years of controversy and concern, including from Native Hawaiian subsistence fishing communities, the aquarium collection industry was finally shut down by court order in 2017 - and has remained shut down for the better part of the last decade. However, the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is now poised to reopen West Hawaiʻi’s waters to commercial aquarium collection via rules that it claims it is statutorily forced to promulgate. Please enact our now longstanding aquarium collection shutdown into law, and make clear that Hawaiʻi Island’s waters should not be reopened for the ornamental aquarium trade.
Reef fish - including and particularly the herbivorous species targeted by aquarium collectors - are essential components of a healthy nearshore ecosystem, including the coral reefs that protect our shorelines from rising seas and coastal erosion. They are also critical components of traditional and customary subsistence fishing practices, have cultural and spiritual significance, and are a precious and unique resource for residents and visitors alike.
When the industry was still active, commercial aquarium collection - driven by the immense profit to be made by selling certain reef species for purely ornamental purposes - had a disproportionate and significant impact on our nearshore waters, particularly on Oʻahu and West Hawaiʻi Island. The removal of hundreds of thousands if not millions of reef fish per year undermined coral reef biodiversity and ecological functions; compromised our cultural, subsistence, and recreational practices; and promoted the belief that our public trust resources should be prioritized for corporate exploitation. Accordingly, the majority of Hawaiʻi residents as well as the Board of Land and Natural Resources itself has voiced support for the permanent ban of commercial aquarium collection throughout Hawaiʻi’s waters.
Nonetheless, DAR is now moving forward with rules that would immediately reopen West Hawaiʻi Island’s waters to commercial aquarium collection, and that lay the groundwork to do the same throughout all of Hawaiʻi. DAR’s justification for this costly, time-consuming endeavor is that state law somehow mandates it to do so. It is now incumbent on the legislature to make clear that DAR should not and must not expend more of its limited resources attempting to re-start an already defunct industry, and instead focus on addressing our myriad and much more pressing marine resource management needs.
Accordingly, I respectfully but strongly urge the Committees to PASS this measure.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Testimony instructions
Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email).
Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.
Enter "HB2101" where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."
Input your information, select “SUPPORT”, write or copy/paste your testimony, and select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able!
Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.
If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4).
Spread the word!
February 19 Update
HB2101, which would prohibit the commercial collection of marine life for the aquarium trade, was passed out of the House Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land on February 18. HB2101 was, however, amended to apply to only Hawaiʻi Island instead of statewide.
Mahalo nui to the over 255 individuals and organizations who submitted testimony in support and special thanks to Chairs Lowen and Hashem and Vice Chairs Perruso and Morikawa for passing this measure.
Bill Background & Info
On Wednesday, February 18 at 8:45am in room 411 the House Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land will hear HB2101, which would permanently ban the harmful collection of critical marine species for the aquarium trade across the islands.
Please take a moment to support this measure! Sample testimony and instructions below.
What this bill does
HB2101 which would prohibit the commercial collection of marine life for the aquarium trade, and prevent the Division of Aquatic Resources from re-opening the aquarium collection industry after it was shut down for most of the last decade.
Why it is important
HB2101 would make it clear that the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources must not waste its extremely limited time and resources developing, implementing, monitoring, and enforcing proposed regulations to reopen the commercial aquarium collection industry, which has already been shut down for nearly a decade - and to instead focus on much more important priorities, as our fisheries and reefs face unprecedented threats.
Sample testimony for HB2101
Aloha Chairs Lowen and Hashem, Vice Chairs Perruso and Morikawa, and Committee Members,
My name is [your name] and I STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2101.
After years of controversy and concern, including from Native Hawaiian subsistence fishing communities, the aquarium collection industry was finally shut down by court order in 2017 - and has remained shut down for the better part of the last decade. Please enact this now longstanding status quo into law, and make clear that Hawaiʻi’s waters should not be reopened for the ornamental aquarium trade, as the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is currently proposing.
Reef fish - including and particularly the herbivorous species targeted by aquarium collectors - are essential components of a healthy nearshore ecosystem, including the coral reefs that protect our shorelines from rising seas and coastal erosion. They are also critical components of traditional and customary subsistence fishing practices, have cultural and spiritual significance, and are a precious resource for residents and visitors alike.
When the industry was still active, commercial aquarium collection - driven by the immense profit to be made by selling certain reef species for purely ornamental purposes - had a disproportionate and significant impact on our nearshore waters. The removal of hundreds of thousands if not millions of reef fish per year undermined coral reef biodiversity and ecological functions; compromised our cultural, subsistence, and recreational practices; and promoted the belief that our public trust resources should be prioritized for corporate exploitation. Accordingly, the majority of Hawaiʻi residents as well as the Board of Land and Natural Resources itself has voiced support for the permanent ban of commercial aquarium collection in Hawaiʻi’s waters.
Nonetheless, DAR is now moving forward with rules that would immediately reopen West Hawaiʻi Island’s waters to commercial aquarium collection, and that lay the groundwork to do the same throughout Hawaiʻi. DAR’s justification for this costly, time-consuming endeavor is that state law somehow mandates it to do so. It is now incumbent on the legislature to make clear that DAR should not and must not expend more of its limited resources attempting to re-start an already defunct industry, and instead focus on addressing our myriad and much more pressing marine resource management needs.
Therefore, I strongly urge the Committees to PASS HB2101. Mahalo nui for the opportunity to testify.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Testimony instructions
Register for a capitol website account if you haven’t yet (youʻll need to confirm your registration by responding to an automated email).
Sign in to capitol.hawaii.gov with your registration information and click the "Submit Testimony" button.
Enter “HB2101” where it says "Enter Bill or Measure."
Input your information, select “SUPPORT”, write or copy/paste your testimony, and select your testimony option(s)—in-person + written, remotely + written, written only. Please consider providing verbal testimony (in-person or remotely) if you are able!
Note: Virtual testimony option may be disabled 24 hours before the hearing.
If you are testifying via Zoom, be sure to review these instructions (page 4).
Don’t forget to spread the word!