Somebody fishing where I was snorkling in Hawaii.

[fishybizzness]

Tangs should have an ice chest at least 3 times that size.

Lol

 

[CookieRdReef]

Tangs should have an ice chest at least 3 times that size.

This guy probably thought I was an idiot after telling him how much we paid for some of these fish. Telling him about the tang police would have made fall over laughing at me.

 

[billyocean]

This guy probably thought I was an idiot after telling him how much we paid for some of these fish. Telling him about the tang police would have made fall over laughing at me.

In hindsight, that would have been the perfect opportunity to explain it.

 

[KrisReef]

Seems like there are only 15-20 licenses that a few native fishing families in Hawaii want to supply reef fish to the Tropical Fish export businesses in Hawaii. They have been trying to get the legal system off their backs and they almost made it with a limited number of fish that were deemed safe to hunt because they had been shown over 20 years to be sustainable. Populations of the harvested fishes grew in numbers over the long biological study. They wanted more species to catch but legal action to block them worked them into a small legal corner with 8 fish species allowed.
Everyones friend; “Earth Justice” (sic) filed a new case against the fishermen and you can just forget what the OP said he saw, there are no fishes left in Hawaii and we can all thank Earth Justice for denying subsistence fishing families their rights to their own Pursuit of Happiness in trade for Earth Justices own right to collect donations to impose their will on the back of good people trying to sell the excess production of the waters around Hawaii.
All those excess fish go to waste if they are not going to be used, economically speaking. The fishing families are the biggest advocates for sustainable fishing. Without them in the game who will keep tabs on the people that visit and live on the Islands? The government?
its a sorry situation but the reef isn’t any better off if you alienate the local folks who have the most investment in keeping the place healthy.

 

[CookieRdReef]

Seems like there are only 15-20 licenses that a few native fishing families in Hawaii want to supply reef fish to the Tropical Fish export businesses in Hawaii. They have been trying to get the legal system off their backs and they almost made it with a limited number of fish that were deemed safe to hunt because they had been shown over 20 years to be sustainable. Populations of the harvested fishes grew in numbers over the long biological study. They wanted more species to catch but legal action to block them worked them into a small legal corner with 8 fish species allowed.
Everyones friend; “Earth Justice” (sic) filed a new case against the fishermen and you can just forget what the OP said he saw, there are no fishes left in Hawaii and we can all thank Earth Justice for denying subsistence fishing families their rights to their own Pursuit of Happiness in trade for Earth Justices own right to collect donations to impose their will on the back of good people trying to sell the excess production of the waters around Hawaii.
All those excess fish go to waste if they are not going to be used, economically speaking. The fishing families are the biggest advocates for sustainable fishing. Without them in the game who will keep tabs on the people that visit and live on the Islands? The government?
its a sorry situation but the reef isn’t any better off if you alienate the local folks who have the most investment in keeping the place healthy.

Yes sustainable fishing (food or aquarium export) is good if done responsibly. Unfortunately most of the world doesn't practice this. I couldn't begin to say exactly how responsible the Hawaiian exporters were, but a complete ban seems excessive since I learned many Hawaiians have occasionally eaten a fried tang.

Especially the convict tangs. They are awesome but they were everywhere. I trip over them everytime I go snorkling in Hawaii.

 

[Rusty_L_Shackleford]

Yes sustainable fishing (food or aquarium export) is good if done responsibly. Unfortunately most of the world doesn't practice this. I couldn't begin to say exactly how responsible the Hawaiian exporters were, but a complete ban seems excessive since I learned many Hawaiians have occasionally eaten a fried tang.

Especially the convict tangs. They are awesome but they were everywhere. I trip over them everytime I go snorkling in Hawaii.

Its a complicated issue without easy answers. I rode out covod in hawaii. Snorkeling the same spots all the time for years. The difference i saw in the reefs during covid was astounding. Tourism,fishing, all this stuff puts pressure on delicate ecosystems. Without all the visitors, the reefs were so much more vibrant. More fish, clearer water, etc. All those convict tangs play an important role, without them, the algae grows unchecked and smothers the coral. But on the other hand, all those visitors and fisheries support the economy. With all the covid shutdowns, the entire local economy ground to a halt overnight. Mass unemployment wasnt fun. So its a balance. Who gets to take what, and how do you regulate that?

 

[CookieRdReef]

Its a complicated issue without easy answers. I rode out covod in hawaii. Snorkeling the same spots all the time for years. The difference i saw in the reefs during covid was astounding. Tourism,fishing, all this stuff puts pressure on delicate ecosystems. Without all the visitors, the reefs were so much more vibrant. More fish, clearer water, etc. All those convict tangs play an important role, without them, the algae grows unchecked and smothers the coral. But on the other hand, all those visitors and fisheries support the economy. With all the covid shutdowns, the entire local economy ground to a halt overnight. Mass unemployment wasnt fun. So its a balance. Who gets to take what, and how do you regulate that?

That's interesting and sad info. I heard some things like this during covid but not about Hawaii specifically. My wife said Hanauma Bay was nothing like she remembered it when she came to Hawaii when she was a kid. Im sure tourism does have a negative impact on the reefs, especially close to shore.

Also, totally kidding about the covict tangs. I have one in my tank and he's such a workhorse. It's awesome to see a school of 50 of them picking at the rocks.

 

[Rusty_L_Shackleford]

That's interesting and sad info. I heard some things like this during covid but not about Hawaii specifically. My wife said Hanauma Bay was nothing like she remembered it when she came to Hawaii when she was a kid. Im sure tourism does have a negative impact on the reefs, especially close to shore.

Also, totally kidding about the covict tangs. I have one in my tank and he's such a workhorse. It's awesome to see a school of 50 of them picking at the rocks.

No offense intended about the comvict tangs, i was just using them as a convenient example since they are so mumerous near shore.

Hanauma bay is one of my favorite places on oahu. I snorkeled there a LOT. Even during peak tourism it was incredible. But seeing it after so long without visitors was astounding.

 

[CookieRdReef]

No offense intended about the comvict tangs, i was just using them as a convenient example since they are so mumerous near shore.

Hanauma bay is one of my favorite places on oahu. I snorkeled there a LOT. Even during peak tourism it was incredible. But seeing it after so long without visitors was astounding.

I'm sure it was way better. My wife and I went out way away from shore there past all of the snorklers and there was so much more life than near the shore. There was a lot more coral and the fish diversity was great. Definatly a fun place to snorkle.

 

[devocole]

So I just returned from Kauai a couple of days ago. While there my 7 and 9 year old boys and I enjoyed some snorkling at the recommended spots when the weather cooperated. Hawaii is great for seeing a ton of reef fish close to shore in many spots.

When I was snorkling at a place called Salt Ponds, some kid starts casting out pretty close to where I was. In that area I saw at least 5+ different species of tangs, picasso triggers, wrasse, goatfish, moorish idols, cool stuff. I spoke with a local on the beach and asked about what the kid was trying to catch explaining I keep some of these fish like the tangs, triggers wrasse. He said any of that little stuff they catch they usually just fry up of its big enough. Good god man! He was quite suprised to hear what a yellow tang or achilles tang would go for at our LFSs. I know people eat reef fish around the world, but I may have ruined eating anything small and colorful for this guy forever.

I was deep sea fishing in Oahu last February. The deck hand says he nets yellow tangs skewers them and cooks then in multiples. He also will use a yellow tang just to flavour cooking oil. I told him what they cost in our hobby and found it awfully amusing.

 

[VR28man]

It wasn't that long ago when yellow tangs collected from Kona, Big Island were like $20-$50. Before the ban some folks have mentioned.............

 

[VR28man]

I'm sure it was way better. My wife and I went out way away from shore there past all of the snorklers and there was so much more life than near the shore. There was a lot more coral and the fish diversity was great. Definatly a fun place to snorkle.

Yeah, at Hanauma IME you have to go past the reef (either through the big passageway in the middle or a harder-to-get through area way on the left. If you take the path to the left, be sure to check out (but NOT touch!) the big, 500-some year old Porites there......