Objectives

The actions adopted by the Council incorporate important components of the deep-water reef fish fishery and the marine aquarium trade into the management unit described in the FMP. This action would add approximately 120 species to the management unit that currently contains 64 species. Comments on the DSEIS generally supported the adopted management measures Which, among other things, prohibit certain destructive harvesting practices in the marine aquarium fishery (described under Adopted Measure 4); prohibit the harvest of certain declining or overfished resources, such as jewfish: recommend a permitting and reporting system by local governments; close two additional aggregation areas during the red hind spawning season and another during the mutton snapper spawning season to all fishing; support the designation of marine coral reef reserves; and recommend that the local governments prohibit the introduction of exotics in marine waters. However, several commenters opposed portions of the fish trap regUlations, and the boundaries of one of the red hind spawning aggregation areas; this led the Council to adopt management measures that addressed their concerns. A large number of juvenile reef fishes and other small reefassociated species are taken by the marine aquarium trade industry. A decline in abundance has been noted for some of the more desirable species in certain localities. The ecological effects of their removal are unknown. Public testimony indicated that some of the gears currently or traditionally used for collecting marine aquarium fishes have the potential for deleterious effects on the fishery resource, its habitat, or both. One of the most popular methods of collection is by the use of chemical substances, the most common of which is quinaldine. Fishermen reported higher mortality rates of fish taken using quinaldine than for those collected using other methods. The use of other chemical agents, such as bleach, formalin, and gasoline for collecting marine aquarium fishes has been reported from various areas, and all are prohibited because of their potentially toxic effects on marine organisms, including corals. The use of explosives and chemical substances is currently prohibited by the shallow-water reef fish regulations that likewise apply to this fishery by amendment. Amendment 2 prohibits drop nets, gill nets, and small mesh fish traps and other gears traditionally used to harvest marine aquarium fishes, and that have a potential for damaging the reef resources. The physical environment currently is adversely affected by the fishery: these effects should be reduced by the adopted actions. The fisheries currently provide benefits to its participants; however, these benefits would be reduced should continued growth of the fishery cause depletion of the resource. Short-term impacts on the user groups may be associated with the imposition of harvest restrictions designed to: (1) rebuild declining resources, and (2) curtail growth of the fisheries until limited access programs can be instituted under a subsequent amendment. Comment Due pate Comments on the statement must be received by: ISEP 07 1993