Video by David Corrigan
The full council met on Thursday, and finally approved a compromised resolution urging the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources to tightly regulate the aquarium fish industry.
The issue has been under discussion for years. The current resolution ignited more debate in recent months, following this discovery of hundreds of dumped, tropical fish in Kona.
Conservationists called for a ban, but the aquarium industry fought back. At Thursday’s meeting, however, both sides appeared to be pleased with councilman Pete Hoffmann’s latest version of the resolution.
However, a full ban on aquarium fish harvesting looms on the horizon.
At the state level, Senator Josh Green unveiled plans to introduce a bill in January that will ban aquarium extraction on all islands.
