Proposed guidelines reignite fight over aquarium fishing

News admin June 9, 2026 0 Comments

Proposed guidelines reignite fight over aquarium fishing

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – After lawmakers refused to stop aquarium fishing this year, fishers are pushing for new limits, spurring debate over whether the controversial practice can be done sustainably.

The industry was put on hold following a court order in 2017, forcing fishers to seek another profession.

“We were basically forced to look for different, you know, forms of employment, you know, which you can you can probably imagine how challenging that is,” second-generation fisher Jerry Isham shared. “I’ve been doing this since I was 12 years old. It’s a family business.”

In 2024, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled harvesting could resume based on an environmental impact statement from aquarium fishers.

Now, , the Hawaii Fishers Association is proposing to issue 15 commercial permits to Oahu fishers per year.

“In the past, we had over 50 on Oahu, so it’s a very small number,” said Randy Cates, who is not an aquarium fisher himself, but is helping draft the EIS.

After hearing community input during a scoping meeting last week, the association is still trying to determine catch quotas, but Cates said sustainability is a priority.

Isham said he plans to catch about 10% of what his family once did — about 50 to 80 yellow tang a day.

“I grew up, basically, take only what you need with as little waste as possible or no waste, right?,” Isham added.

But critics believe even a downsized aquarium industry will bring evironmental problems, and argued the economic benefits are not worth it.

“It is only a direct impact and financial impact for those particular individuals involved in the trade,” environmental advocate Mike Nakachi said.

Hawaii County Council Chair Holeka Inaba introduced a resolution urging the state Legislature to ban aquarium fishing statewide.

Legislators had the chance this session to impose another ban with House Bill 2101, but the measure died.

With no new law, both supporters and opponents are continuing to push their positions.

Godfrey Akaka Jr., who supports the re-emergence of aquarium fishing, said it would, “open up jobs for local employment in many associated trades, helps boost the economy.”

Nakachi countered, “I think the big thing is it boils down to It’s, I’ve heard the term cash over Aina, greed over Aina. So these are just some things that other Kanaka that have spoken and oppose the aquarium trade have mentioned.”

The association said it will factor community feedback into the EIS, with another chance for the public to weigh in later.

DLNR must approve the document before it goes to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.