Pacific Magazine > Daily News

Reef Fish Population Decimated By Gill Nets

Monday: August 04, 2008

(Honolulu Advertiser)

A number of local fishermen warn that illegal use of gill nets have decimated 75 percent of Hawaii’s reef fish, reports the Honolulu Advertiser.

A recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report showed that of 55 reef fish species studied in the main Hawaiian Islands, 42 percent were in critical condition and 33 percent were depleted, the newspaper said.

 "Some guys go and lay a couple hundred yards of nets across the reefs — whole schools of fish can get caught in that before they have the chance to reproduce. If an entire school of mature, reproducing fish are harvested by one setting of a lay net, how is it supposed to recover?" said Colin Takashima, who has fished Oahu’s shores for 25 years.

The state Dept. of Land and Natural Resources says it has 114 enforcement officers statewide. Another five officers are in training. A department official says the officers respond to 50 to 100 calls a day about potential violations of conservation rules.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080803/NEWS11/808030379/1001