Hawaii reef advocates span the cultural spectrum, beginning with you to former fishermen to Hawaiian cultural practitioners to marine scientists to tourism professionals from all islands. We met yesterday with Governor David Ige, who pledged to weigh in on SB 1240 soon. SB 1240 has now been on the Governor's desk for a month.

We reviewed:
  1. The Hawaii Reef Accord is identical to the Paris Climate Accord-that Nainoa Thompson's vision of the Blue Island, Earth, encompasses these blue islands, Hawaii.
     
  2. That his (Governor Ige's) Department of Land and Natural Resources Director and Department of Aquatic Rescources Chief represent entrenched priorities of The Nature Conservancy and not the people of Hawaii. That "sustainability" is an effective ruse in garnering money and political power, but a ruse by any other name is still a ruse. Neither Suzanne Case nor Bruce Anderson defined "sustainable" at TNC or at DLNR.
     
  3. That DAR Chief Bruce Anderson was in a meeting where a major aquarium dealer said total catch is NOT ½ million yellow tangs per year-that he alone ships out 1 million yellow tangs each year. That he is one of 15 aquarium dealers the State knows about, and another 10-15 hidden dealers operate out of unmarked buildings. Yet Chief Anderson still defends the LIE.
     
  4. That nobody else cares anything about Hawaii-except for 9 million people who visit annually-who spend a billion dollars on reef tourism and tend to care in a very big way.
     
  5. That Governor Ige appears to be caught between his better nature and political pressure from his own agency and the TNC agenda driving that agency. That he is on the verge of a goodwill, good cheer tsunami. Or not.

Governor David Ige listened and said nothing.  He had no questions. Please pick a point above or choose your own point. It ' s a forced march that feels over and above what should be necessary for a leader to sign a bill with vast public support - a bill that endured 6 legislative hearings and Conference Committee, each one a shoot out, a knock down drag out, a bumper car frenzy with DLNR slamming away in defense of a vile, conflicted crime against the Hawaii reef trust.

The governor is in. 
Email and/ or call Governor Ige   (808) 586-0034 and ask him to sign SB1240 to end aquarium collector permits in Hawaii. 

Remind him Hawaii's reefs are a public trust that should not fall to commercial extraction, and you want to see fish on Hawaii reefs, not in glass tanks. Remind him this bill represents aloha, pono politics and reef kuleana, not an agenda that puts The Nature Conservancy over Hawaii Reefs. Hawaii's reefs aren't for sale to the highest bidder, and the aquarium trade is not sustainable. Urge Governor Ige to  make SB 1240 THE LAW. 
 
GO DEEP & SEE reef wildlife living free on the reef:
Harlequin Shrimp
  
It's all One Reef.

  Mahalo, w e look forward to seeing you on the reef.   
 
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