Collecting fish in Hawaii????

79chopperdr · 08/06/2014, 12:29 PM

Awhile back I thought I read where someone was talking about collecting fish and inverts in Hawaii for personal use using a permit process.

My wife and I are taking a trip to Maui in October and plan on spending as much of my time snorkling/diving as possible which will be great. If I can collect some fish/ corals it will be even better!

Please share on how the process works!

Thanks

CoralsAddiction · 08/06/2014, 01:31 PM

I'm not a lawyer in Hawaii so can't give legal advice. If I were you I would stay away from collecting and removing any corals, inverts and live rock directly from the ocean. It is illegal. What I believe you can do is collect rubble and live sand that fits into a 1gal bucket.

NTP66 · 08/06/2014, 01:58 PM

It's illegal to collect coral and live rock in Hawai'i unless you have a commercial permit. I'm not sure about the sand, but my personal opinion is that nothing outside of fish should ever be removed from the islands.

79chopperdr · 08/06/2014, 01:58 PM

Found the regs, rock and coral are off the table. I did apply for a permit for fish.

Still curious in hearing about similar experiances.

Deinonych · 08/06/2014, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntp66

i'm not sure about the sand, but my personal opinion is that nothing outside of fish should ever be removed from the islands.

+1

Shawn O · 08/06/2014, 02:41 PM

What does the permit cost and what fish are you allowed to collect?

Reef Frog · 08/06/2014, 04:13 PM

I think the proper packaging, acclimation, flight connections, hotel set up would all be very daunting. While not impossible, the chances of survival even if you catch something is low unfortunately. I would love to experience collecting one day but that one will probably stay on the bucket list. Enjoy the trip.

IowaReefer · 08/06/2014, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Frog

I think the proper packaging, acclimation, flight connections, hotel set up would all be very daunting. While not impossible, the chances of survival even if you catch something is low unfortunately. I would love to experience collecting one day but that one will probably stay on the bucket list. Enjoy the trip.

The OP lives in Cali, it is not a long flight home, especially if he has an evening flight and can do the collecting the day of departure. I have always thought about road tripping down to FL to do some collecting, sounds like a great trip!

enchelycore808 · 08/06/2014, 05:12 PM

When I worked at a petstore on the big island, we occasionally packed up fish for people who do just that. Personally done it as well. Need collection permit, then to ship out you need a Dept of Ag permit plus inspection label to tape on box. After that you can ship it on your airline, fedex etc Shouldn't be in boxed more then 10hours or so but if it was bagged properly, should be able to do 24hr in bag no problem.

enchelycore808 · 08/06/2014, 05:17 PM

Also soft coral, zoas, most nems are legal to collect. Just can't take or damage the rock that they are on. No liverock or reef building corals are permitted. Hawaii is pretty lacking in coral variety compared to other locales however due to being so isolated and geographically young.

CoralsAddiction · 08/06/2014, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enchelycore808

Also soft coral, zoas, most nems are legal to collect. Just can't take or damage the rock that they are on. No liverock or reef building corals are permitted. Hawaii is pretty lacking in coral variety compared to other locales however due to being so isolated and geographically young.

I also think it's a cultural issue for the native population of Hawaii but I am not thoroughly enlightened on this subject.

79chopperdr · 08/07/2014, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn O

What does the permit cost and what fish are you allowed to collect?

Not 100%, the application was free to fill out. I think you pay per animal when you go to send out of state. I'm hoping for more info when I hear back on the permit application.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NTP66

It's illegal to collect coral and live rock in Hawai'i unless you have a commercial permit. I'm not sure about the sand, but my personal opinion is that nothing outside of fish should ever be removed from the islands.

I am respectful of all laws related to collecting these animals and natural resources. Unless your FOWLR is stocked with only manmade rock, and aquarium bred fish, your comments sound pretty hypocritical. Where exactly do you think this stuff comes from?

Quote:

Originally Posted by enchelycore808

When I worked at a pet store on the big island, we occasionally packed up fish for people who do just that. Personally done it as well. Need collection permit, then to ship out you need a Dept of Ag permit plus inspection label to tape on box. After that you can ship it on your airline, fedex etc Shouldn't be in boxed more than 10hours or so but if it was bagged properly, should be able to do 24hr in bag no problem.

IF I can catch a fish (they swim a bit faster than me) and it is compatible with my tank and current inhabitants I will have it shipped home to a fellow reefer. I'm not going to try to keep anything alive in my hotel room, it won't be good for the animal or me (the wife is only tolerant of this hobby).

I’m not looking at this as a cheap way to get a fish, but a fun activity and a great way to remember my trip and enjoy our great hobby. I take the care of my animals seriously and know that proper care and shipment can end up with me spending big bucks on a fish I could buy for $20 at the LFS.

Thanks for your inputs, I’m still interested in some first-hand experience on the subject.

NTP66 · 08/07/2014, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79chopperdr

I am respectful of all laws related to collecting these animals and natural resources. Unless your FOWLR is stocked with only manmade rock, and aquarium bred fish, your comments sound pretty hypocritical. Where exactly do you think this stuff comes from?

I wasn't inferring that you weren't respectful of the laws at all. Two of my fish were collected in Hawai'i, but none of my live rock or sand was. I also wasn't saying that live rock/coral/sand shouldn't be harvested from the wild - just Hawai'i. If you ask most locals, they feel the same way.

79chopperdr · 08/07/2014, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NTP66

I also wasn't saying that live rock/coral/sand shouldn't be harvested from the wild - just Hawai'i. If you ask most locals, they feel the same way.

You must be popular on all other reefs in the world.

sfsuphysics · 08/07/2014, 03:16 PM

Do you have any experience with collecting fish in the wild? My trips to Hawaii I couldn't get within 3 arms lengths of most fish that I might deem "collectable", a few close calls with a REALLY large Naso tang but other than that sounds like a lot of work to do what you're hoping.

bertoni · 08/07/2014, 10:45 PM

Moved on request.

kkittredge · 04/01/2015, 06:18 PM

curious what happened with this. Did you wind up collecting anything?

AZRippster · 04/14/2015, 09:51 AM

Check out the March/April 2015 issue of Coral Magazine. It will clarify this threads question along with identifying obviously where the best diving and life exists within the Hawaiian Islands.

79chopperdr · 05/06/2015, 10:27 AM

I never did any collecting when I visited Maui. Buckets and air pumps in the hotel would have put a large damper on the trip for my much better half!

I found flipping rocks over while on the bottom makes you very popular with the fish. They start coming out of the woodwork to see what's under there.

Hawaiian DAR sent me a letter yesterday that outlined some new limits on nets and banned collecting on three butterfly species on Oahu. Make sure you double check the regs before you go.

OhMatic · 07/16/2015, 01:26 AM

79chopperdr
I am lucky enough to be able to collect fish (non commercially)in Hawaii 2-3 times a week.
I have changed my technique over the last year and have become a lot more successful, even with the new DAR restrictions you can pretty easily catch all you need. I release everything these days. (Since I got attached to my Moorish Idol), There seems to be a real problem with Aoumyloodinium ocellatum here. I assume this is why exporters treat their water/fish before shipping.
You could come on a visit and collect fish, work with a LFS/exported to ship the fish to you when you leave. No buckets or pumps in your room.
Catching the fish in a net can be challenging and may prove more difficult than expected.
Good luck, enjoy.

Saltliquid · 07/26/2015, 06:03 AM

I would like to see some pics of how it goes!
I was a commercial collector for 16 years and recreational for 20 more and still do and do understand how much of it works, environmentally not legally over there.
Just put in ammo lock and three quarters oxygen to one quarter water and we always kept them live with out food for at east 3 days to s—t them out we called it.
There are so many varying opinions on this and pretty much all they are is opinions based on very little knowledge.
Its one of our basic core malfunctions with in society, we judge with limited knowledge!
This is about that way of thinking, not the ocean!
Some time back an unusually family which made it hard for people to relate to them properly like they are other human beings were trekking in Auz and lost their child to a dingo.
Now the wife paid dearly with not just loosing a kid and being locked up for ages but the family was torn a part from the idiots back then amongst all that.
Then a child gets attacked here on an island and it all comes to a head again and she is found to have done nothing wrong, it was a load or rubbish from opinions and no knowledge public opinion.
I come from the auz out back and my mate, as children our selves, he is an aboriginal, he use to tell me of at least three aboriginal babies with in tribes he knew of that were lost to dingoes a long time before that child got taken, you see my point!
It was all there for the cops to see, but they couldn't, no one listened to the the aboriginal trackers there helping out, no way back then!

Well said OhMaTiC !!!

OhMatic · 11/15/2015, 04:13 PM

Saltliquid,
I don't have any pictures of how I collect.
There are lots of youtube videos but it looks like most are commercial collectors.
I simply find, observe and hunt. I use two hand nets.
Friday I got a Belted wrasse in less than five minutes and then it took me an hour and a half to find and catch a bird wrasse. Both are in my tank now.
I prefer to collect alone, it takes patience and most fish keep a pretty good distance from big things like humans...

08/06/2014, 12:29 PM	#1
79chopperdr I killed ALL that Coral! Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Antelope, CA Posts: 1,509	Collecting fish in Hawaii???? Awhile back I thought I read where someone was talking about collecting fish and inverts in Hawaii for personal use using a permit process. My wife and I are taking a trip to Maui in October and plan on spending as much of my time snorkling/diving as possible which will be great. If I can collect some fish/ corals it will be even better! Please share on how the process works! Thanks

08/06/2014, 01:58 PM	#3
NTP66 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: PA Posts: 975	It's illegal to collect coral and live rock in Hawai'i unless you have a commercial permit. I'm not sure about the sand, but my personal opinion is that nothing outside of fish should ever be removed from the islands. __________________ Nick Current Tank Info: 90g FOWLR, Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer, MP40wES x2, Eheim 1260 return, BuildMyLED 20,000k XB LEDs, Apex Jr.

08/06/2014, 04:13 PM	#7
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	I think the proper packaging, acclimation, flight connections, hotel set up would all be very daunting. While not impossible, the chances of survival even if you catch something is low unfortunately. I would love to experience collecting one day but that one will probably stay on the bucket list. Enjoy the trip. Last edited by Reef Frog; 08/06/2014 at 04:18 PM.

08/07/2014, 03:16 PM	#15
sfsuphysics Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Francisco Posts: 9,103	Do you have any experience with collecting fish in the wild? My trips to Hawaii I couldn't get within 3 arms lengths of most fish that I might deem "collectable", a few close calls with a REALLY large Naso tang but other than that sounds like a lot of work to do what you're hoping. __________________ Mike

08/07/2014, 10:45 PM	#16
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Moved on request. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/06/2014, 01:31 PM	#2
CoralsAddiction Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: L.A./Tahoe Posts: 6,003	I'm not a lawyer in Hawaii so can't give legal advice. If I were you I would stay away from collecting and removing any corals, inverts and live rock directly from the ocean. It is illegal. What I believe you can do is collect rubble and live sand that fits into a 1gal bucket.

08/06/2014, 02:41 PM	#6
Shawn O Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts Posts: 1,474	What does the permit cost and what fish are you allowed to collect?

08/06/2014, 05:12 PM	#9
enchelycore808 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 405	When I worked at a petstore on the big island, we occasionally packed up fish for people who do just that. Personally done it as well. Need collection permit, then to ship out you need a Dept of Ag permit plus inspection label to tape on box. After that you can ship it on your airline, fedex etc Shouldn't be in boxed more then 10hours or so but if it was bagged properly, should be able to do 24hr in bag no problem.

08/06/2014, 05:17 PM	#10
enchelycore808 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 405	Also soft coral, zoas, most nems are legal to collect. Just can't take or damage the rock that they are on. No liverock or reef building corals are permitted. Hawaii is pretty lacking in coral variety compared to other locales however due to being so isolated and geographically young.

04/01/2015, 06:18 PM	#17
kkittredge Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 54	curious what happened with this. Did you wind up collecting anything?

04/14/2015, 09:51 AM	#18
AZRippster Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut Join Date: May 2012 Location: Sierra Vista, AZ Posts: 1,127	Check out the March/April 2015 issue of Coral Magazine. It will clarify this threads question along with identifying obviously where the best diving and life exists within the Hawaiian Islands.

05/06/2015, 10:27 AM	#19
79chopperdr I killed ALL that Coral! Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Antelope, CA Posts: 1,509	I never did any collecting when I visited Maui. Buckets and air pumps in the hotel would have put a large damper on the trip for my much better half! I found flipping rocks over while on the bottom makes you very popular with the fish. They start coming out of the woodwork to see what's under there. Hawaiian DAR sent me a letter yesterday that outlined some new limits on nets and banned collecting on three butterfly species on Oahu. Make sure you double check the regs before you go.

07/16/2015, 01:26 AM	#20
OhMatic Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: USA Posts: 261	79chopperdr I am lucky enough to be able to collect fish (non commercially)in Hawaii 2-3 times a week. I have changed my technique over the last year and have become a lot more successful, even with the new DAR restrictions you can pretty easily catch all you need. I release everything these days. (Since I got attached to my Moorish Idol), There seems to be a real problem with Aoumyloodinium ocellatum here. I assume this is why exporters treat their water/fish before shipping. You could come on a visit and collect fish, work with a LFS/exported to ship the fish to you when you leave. No buckets or pumps in your room. Catching the fish in a net can be challenging and may prove more difficult than expected. Good luck, enjoy.

07/26/2015, 06:03 AM	#21
Saltliquid Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Brisbane Australia Posts: 911	I would like to see some pics of how it goes! I was a commercial collector for 16 years and recreational for 20 more and still do and do understand how much of it works, environmentally not legally over there. Just put in ammo lock and three quarters oxygen to one quarter water and we always kept them live with out food for at east 3 days to s—t them out we called it. There are so many varying opinions on this and pretty much all they are is opinions based on very little knowledge. Its one of our basic core malfunctions with in society, we judge with limited knowledge! This is about that way of thinking, not the ocean! Some time back an unusually family which made it hard for people to relate to them properly like they are other human beings were trekking in Auz and lost their child to a dingo. Now the wife paid dearly with not just loosing a kid and being locked up for ages but the family was torn a part from the idiots back then amongst all that. Then a child gets attacked here on an island and it all comes to a head again and she is found to have done nothing wrong, it was a load or rubbish from opinions and no knowledge public opinion. I come from the auz out back and my mate, as children our selves, he is an aboriginal, he use to tell me of at least three aboriginal babies with in tribes he knew of that were lost to dingoes a long time before that child got taken, you see my point! It was all there for the cops to see, but they couldn't, no one listened to the the aboriginal trackers there helping out, no way back then! Well said OhMaTiC !!!

11/15/2015, 04:13 PM	#22
OhMatic Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: USA Posts: 261	Saltliquid, I don't have any pictures of how I collect. There are lots of youtube videos but it looks like most are commercial collectors. I simply find, observe and hunt. I use two hand nets. Friday I got a Belted wrasse in less than five minutes and then it took me an hour and a half to find and catch a bird wrasse. Both are in my tank now. I prefer to collect alone, it takes patience and most fish keep a pretty good distance from big things like humans...