02.25.2025
The Hawai’i HB661 bill can bypass permitting requirements for wild fish collection. The hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, February 27, at 2:00 pm (HST), in the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs. As with the Senate bill, this version (HB661) is a dangerous bill that would also entirely gut the Hawaiʻi Environmental Policy Act (HEPA) by allowing potentially destructive activities to continue during any required environmental review.
The commercial aquarium reef fish collection for export was stopped in 2017, after killing millions of reef fish and imapcting coral reef health.
ACTION #1: Please submit testimony in strong opposition to HB661 today! Deadline for on-time testimony is 2:00 pm on Wednesday, February 26th. This hearing allows both written and oral testimony.
Submit testimony through the Hawaiʻi legislature’s page for HB661. Click the orange “Submit Testimony” button which will direct you to log in or register for an account (quick & easy). Once logged in, enter HB661 in the search field and then continue.
Agenda and details on providing oral testimony here.
Background:
HB661, and it’s Senate Companion bill SB1074, were prompted by a court order prohibiting issuance and renewal of marine tourism permits in Kaʻanapali until they have undergone environmental review, or DLNR has declared they are exempt. DLNR and the Environmental Council have already determined that these types of tour operations are exempt, and we mostly agree in this specific situation, because they are non-extractive and minimally impact the environment (with the exception of e-foils). However, these bills would apply to far more than just marine tour operators, and the aquarium trade has seized on them as their immediate path back onto our reefs (as evidenced by the crazy emails many of you have received from them recently).
Now, we must oppose the second of these dangerous bills! So, please also consider:
ACTION #2: Call and email the House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Committee members and express your strong opposition to HB661, especially to:
David Tarnas, Chair
Phone: 808-586-8510
Email: [email protected]
Mahina Poepoe, Vice Chair
Phone: 808-586-6790
Email: [email protected]
This Wednesday, February 26, the Senate Committee on Judiciary will decide whether to pass SB1074, a dangerous bill that would entirely gut the Hawaiʻi Environmental Policy Act (HEPA) by allowing potentially destructive activities to continue during any required environmental review.
Had this bill been in effect in 2017, when the Hawaiʻi Supreme court ruled that aquarium collecting must undergo environmental review, the trade would still be operating today and millions more of our important reef animals would be missing from our reefs!
Worse, these destructive activities, with their potential to irreparably damage our fragile environment, could go on indefinitely, with nothing mitigating their harmful impacts, because there are no laws/rules setting time constraints on preparing or completing environmental studies.
ACTION #1: Please submit testimony in strong opposition to SB1074 today! Deadline for on-time testimony is 9:40 am on Tuesday, February 25th. (This hearing is written testimony only with no oral testimony prior to decision-making.)
Submit testimony through the Hawaiʻi legislature’s page for SB1074. Click the orange “Submit Testimony” button which will direct you to log in or register for an account (quick & easy). Once logged in, enter SB1074 in the search field and then continue.
Background:
SB1074, and it’s House companion bill, were prompted by a court order prohibiting issuance and renewal of marine tourism permits in Kaʻanapali until they have undergone environmental review, or DLNR has declared they are exempt. DLNR and the Environmental Council have already determined that these types of tour operations are exempt, and we mostly agree in this specific situation, because they are non-extractive and minimally impact the environment (with the exception of e-foils). However, these bills would apply to far more than just marine tour operators, and the aquarium trade has seized on them as their immediate path back onto our reefs (as evidenced by the crazy emails many of you have received from them recently).
Now, we must oppose these bad bills with everything we have! So, please also consider:
ACTION #2: Call and email the below Senate Judiciary Committee members and express your strong opposition to SB1074:
Senator Karl Rhoads, Chair
Phone: 808-586-6130
[email protected]
Senator Mike Gabbard, Vice Chair
Phone: 808-586-6830
[email protected]
Senator Stanley Chang, Member
Phone: 808-586-8420
[email protected]
Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura, Member
Phone: 808-586-6890
[email protected]
Senator Brenton Awa, Member
Phone: 808-586-7330
[email protected]
Mahalo for everything you do to protect Hawaiʻi’s reefs! Please also watch for our Action Alert regarding the House companion bill!
Rene Umberger
Executive Director, For the Fishes