The massive fine levied against aquarium fish collectors in Kona sheds an important light on the environmentally damaging practice of poaching Hawaii marine life for global export and shows wildlife trafficking remains prevalent here in the islands (“BLNR fines Hawaii island couple $272,000 after aquarium fish collecting incident,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 26).

For far too long, commercial aquarium collectors have been exploiting illegally granted permits to indiscriminately harvest Hawaiian reef fish out of their natural habitats to send to aquarium stores all over the world. It was recently estimated that over half a million Hawaiian reef fish were exported in the past three years alone.

As those who enjoy snorkeling, diving and swimming know, our native fish play an important role in promoting healthy ocean ecosystems by controlling algae and promoting growth and reproduction of coral. With the very real threat of warming sea temperatures, ocean acidification and coral bleaching, the ecological role of our native reef fish will become even more important in the coming years.

The state must do more to rein in commercial aquarium harvesting. A good start would be to follow the environmental review process, as ordered by the state’s Environmental Court late last year and the Hawaii Supreme Court in 2017. The court found that commercial aquarium collection of reef fish was “invalid and illegal” until and unless the environmental review is complete.

So now DLNR will evaluate a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that proposes to reopen the commercial aquarium trade in Hawaii. Comments on the DEIS will be accepted until April 9.

The environmental review process is just that: a process to allow the public to know about potential environmental impacts before certain decisions are made that require government action. We hope that a broad range of viewpoints will be considered, with input from scientists, cultural practitioners, small hobby collectors, and even the commercial exporters to determine the environmental impacts of the aquarium fish trade in the islands — on the environment and native Hawaiian culture.

The environmental review should also examine the economic impacts that unhealthy, depopulated reefs have on tourism businesses like snorkel and dive tours. Input from responsible local subsistence fishermen and Native Hawaiian practitioners will be key to measuring the importance of our reefs for local food production and cultural activities.

Another important step would be to pursue legislation to halt the trade of our indigenous reef wildlife. Various proposals have been introduced over the last decade. In 2017, a compromise bill that would have ended the trade passed out of the Legislature but was vetoed by the governor. While this year’s legislative session has been focused on COVID-19 relief, we hope that our legislators will revisit and build upon past proposals in future sessions.

The county governments can play their part as well. In 2011, Maui County Council passed a landmark bill to require permits and reports for the extraction of aquarium fish from local reefs. The City and County of Honolulu has been considering similar legislation, and we hope that our councilmembers will pick up on these important discussions about protecting marine life surrounding Oahu.

The practice of indiscriminately and unlimitedly poaching aquarium fish and wildlife for the commercial trade must come to an end for the sake of our reefs and the myriad corals, shellfish and other wildlife which depend on them. The reality is we humans depend on healthy reefs and wildlife. We urge those who care about our native reefs and wildlife to provide their input on the current Draft Environmental Impact Statement to start to put an end to this exploitative trade here in the islands.

Tyler Dos Santos-Tam is Democratic Party of Hawaii chairman; Jessica Wooley is a former legislator and former director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control..