Aloha from Hawaii

Reef keeper 103 · Apr 17, 2024

Hey hi five o

affan · May 7, 2024

rahre1 said:
I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time in Hawaiian waters for the last 40 years. I also have been reefing for nearly 25 years. There are a number of challenges in Hawaii related to reef health. I’ll share a couple observations. When I was a teenager, before entering the reefs on Maui, reef fish were visible and curious enough to approach your feet in ankle deep water (the shallow reefs had not been trampled to death yet). There were days where entire walls of Maui reef, 20’ long and 6’ high were invisible due to the hundreds of yellow tangs feeding on the rock (highway 30, mile 13!). It’s a sight I can’t describe fairly enough. It’s gone. Over the years, fewer and fewer fish, tangs include are present. As recent as January, you have to swim quite a bit to find a handful of fish.

In our world of revisionist history, the Kona Gold Coast (Google search) is named such due to the presence of luxury hotels and resorts. That is true of other “Gold Coasts” (e.g., Mazatlan), but is not the story for Kona. When I was younger, it was understood that the Gold Coast got its name from the yellow colored reefs, due to thousands of yellow tang, so bright that the coastline looked golden as your flight approached and landed in Kona. It’s not the same, today…..

I’m no saint when it comes to 100% tank/captive raised fish. I just challenge us all with setting an ecological bar higher than our government and that of the business interest. Yes, economics may solve the problem if these fish are $500+ each, but the costs to the reef and to the beauty of Hawaii is not trivial. Again, there are many challenges to Hawaiian reef health. My non-scientific observation is that the reefs are not quite ready.

Thanks to you all for allowing me to share my observations. I’m a fisherman and hunter. I found myself questioning my own behavior. I am still a bit surprised about how emotional this subject was for me. I really want a tank full of fish that remind me of Hawaii. My personal decision, given what I’ve seen, is to pass for now.

Agree with you..It's disheartening to hear about the decline in reef health over the past decades,