Fishing By Sustainable Harvest Methods
Preserving our valuable reef and fish resources for the future has been a concern of ours since we began our marine fish collection business Hawaiian Quality Fish in 1989. We have been "farming" an approximate four mile stretch of reef since that time and have practiced a sustainable harvest method for collecting fish. We know from experience it works and can be done. You can make a living, supply your customers with the finest quality fish, and respect/preserve the reef at the same time.
What exactly do we mean by sustainable harvest. The American Heritage Dictionary definition of sustain is "to keep in existence; to maintain", and harvest means "the gathering in of a crop". Put these together and you get a method of collecting fish (your crop) while maintaining your fish and reef resources at the same time.
Fish conservation and sustainable fishing reforms have been going on Internationally for years with support from a vast array of organizations, groups and individuals. However, too many people choose to ignore the fact that you need to do your share to help. Resolving the over fishing problems of our seas is not an easy task and it takes many people to make a difference. Some of these reforms come in the way of establishing marine sanctuaries, aquaculture/mariculture practices, sustainable harvesting methods, educational conferences, governmental departments, conservation groups, laws, and just plain old fashioned not over fishing. As fisher persons we are responsible for the stewardship of our reef and respect it as such. The biodiversity of the reef and ocean is vital. You cannot just say, ok, no one fish from the sea anymore. Man depends on so many aspects of the sea for nutrition, medicines and much more.
So exactly how do you go about putting into action a practice of sustainable harvesting? Here is what we do, and you can too.
Don't Over fish
All of our filling of orders is based on collecting the fish when we need them. We do not tank or stock a system full of fish and then try and sell them. Collect only what you need, when you need them. Why collect certain fish in large numbers that no one has ordered and sit on them, or send them unwanted to someone who cannot sell them. Of course in the process of collecting, a few miscellaneous fish will be collected, just don't overdo it.
Work Your Collection Area As A "Farm"
For the commonly collected fish, our method is start at one end of our farm area and go down the reef ledge by ledge. Each time we go out to collect fish we DO NOT go back to the same spot. It takes us one year to go from one end of our farm area to the other, then we start over at the beginning again. This has given the reef fish species time to replenish themselves, as we usually get two or three new baby fish flushes (seedings) a year. Not all seedings are the same each year. Some can be abundant ones, and others not so abundant. Be aware of what his happening on the reef at all times. What new flushes have come in and what are the numbers of small fish you are seeing? This will give you a projection for what you will see in the year to come.
Now for species that we only find in particular spots, we go to that spot, take only what we need and do not return to the same spot for at least 3 months. Next time we need more of the same species we pick the next spot in line and rotate these spots throughout the year. Fish are not stupid and if you try to keep going to the same place to collect the same fish, they remember. You'll find that if you return to the spot too soon, or too many times, they are agitated and wise to what you are doing. By waiting this gives the fish a chance to settle down and not disrupt their environment to the point of where they may even evacuate the area. This way you don't over fish the area either.
Abide By The Laws & Rules
Learn the fishing laws set down by the state or country you live in and abide by them! NEVER use any chemicals or drugs for catching fish.
As commercial ornamental marine fish collectors in Hawai'i we are required to have a commercial fishing license, as well as an Aquarium Permit. We follow the Hawai'i Fishing Laws for size limitations and taking of certain fishes, and use only legal nets and other equipment.
In Hawai'i, the fish listed for size limitations are considered food fishes for local sustenance. Did you know that Manini (Convict Tangs) are only to be collected at five inches or more in size, Parrot Fish should be a one pound minimum weight, and Goat Fish species (Moana, Kumu, Weke and Oama) have a seven inch minimum size limit? Even though these fishes are considered food fishes in Hawai'i, they are of interest to aquarists in smaller sizes. If you see a fish store or supplier that offers size regulated fishes for sale, inquire with them why and how they are allowed to do so. Maybe they are not aware of this, or for some reason they have some type of special authorization to sell them.
Voluntary Fish Regulation
You can choose to go out and collect everything and anything you can get your hands on, no matter what, or you can choose to regulate certain species on your own. We know that in our farm area certain species are not abundant, but we can find some numbers of them in certain places on the reef. We CHOOSE to tell customers that want a large quantity of certain fishes that they cannot have them.
A few examples, we seldom find small or medium sized Achilles Tangs and find the large and extra large size in pretty good numbers, but only in four particular spots on the reef where we dive. For someone that orders 30 L/XL Achilles we say "we'll send you no more than 10". For the harder to find or less abundant fishes, you'll be lucky to get one or two from us, if any at all.
We have had people want nothing but an LD3 container of Yellow Tangs. You're talking about 600 fish! No way! If we did this for every person that wanted it we would over fish and deplete our Yellow Tang supply in a very short period of time. We regulate no more than 200 Yellow Tang in a container. The rest of the order is to be filled with a complete "variety" of all the other fish we collect. By collecting this way you harvest fish in a balanced manner, not just taking one species from the reef, but you also want to be sure not to ship a bunch of "junk" fish that your customer cannot sell. This wastes fish that are better off left in the ocean.
We also do not like to remove large quantities of the large and extra large sized fish. These are your breeding stock and are the fish that help restock our ocean waters.
Be aware of the fish you are selling. Choose not to ship fish that do not do well in captivity. Just say NO! For years we had Cleaner Wrasses on our price list, and a couple of years ago we removed it from the list. These little fish provide a valuable service on the reef and do not do well in captivity. There are some Butterfly Fishes that are very delicate and hard to keep. These we choose to only collect on occasion and ship them to experienced suppliers and aquarist.
Keep Good Records
Believe it or not, we have a log book with diagrams for every spot we dive in our farm from one end to the other. Each time we collect we note how many dives we did, how many and what fish we collected. We have kept this log since we began our fish collecting business in 1989, so you can imagine it's quite a collection of reef observation and fish collecting information. We also make any special notes of something we may have seen out of the ordinary for a particular spot, maybe a fish we have not seen in that area before, etc. It not only holds all this vital information, we know when and where to go in our farm area to collect.
Take Care Of Your Fish
Know their characteristics, how to care for them and what they eat. Any knowledge you can pass on to your customers is important for the well being of the fish.
Once you have gone to all the work of collecting your valuable resource, treat them with care and respect. Give them a more than acceptable system to live in, top water quality (proper water parameters i.e. nitrate, pH, ammonia, etc.), care, maintenance, and start feeding them even if you are only going to be tanking the for a short period of time. Stop feeding them to let the fish clean out their digestive systems for a minimum of two or three days prior to shipping. Four days for larger fish. One of the hardest parts of keeping a fish healthy from your system to your customers is care and nutrition. Most of the fish we ship are already learning to eat tank fed foods, so half the battle for some fish that can be difficult to get to eat in captivity is already won. The longer you wait to feed collected fish, the higher the chance of them not wanted to eat becomes a problem for your customers. TAKE CARE OF THEM!
Going One Step Further
Protection and preservation of fish not only occurs in the ocean, but in how you handle and ship your fish too. You should be only shipping PERFECT, healthy fish. That means NO frayed fins, missing scales, fin burn (from ammonia damage), whatever! Fish that we collect that may have gotten minor injuries (i.e. net abrasions, fighting with other fish, etc.), medication treatments are given to help aid healing, along with proper nutrition needs. Once the fish is healed up and still healthy, we'll ship it. If the fish is showing signs of extreme stress and is not adjusting well to tank life, we release it back into the wild. Never release a non-endemic fish into waters where it does not belong.
If everyone had the attitude of "oh well, so the fish isn't in good shape and it will live for awhile, I'll just get some more later", this perpetuates a demand for more fish and the cycle of depleting our ocean resources continues. There should be no reason for a high DOA loss rate. Fish can survive with proper care and handling from start to finish, including the shipping process, and can live long after you have placed them in their new aquarium home. If a customer says "I want the fish packed really tight with as many fish as you can cram in a box", just say NO, I won't do that to the fish!
Proper and adequate packing procedures should be followed allowing the optimal survival rate for arrival. This means plenty of bag room and oxygen, and cleaning the fish out before shipping. Fouled bags from excessive poop takes its toll and can contribute to DOA's, or sick fish after they arrive. We have less than a 1/2 of 1% DOA rate, and expect no more than this.
Airline schedules for delivery of the fish to their destination should be kept, if possible, to a non-stop or one plane change route. Most fish can be delivered in 24-36 hours, with it being up to 48 hours or more for long distance destinations (i.e. International). ALWAYS pack your fish for a minimum 48 hour trip, assuming that anything is possible when dealing with the airlines. Even non-stop flights can have their glitches, so ship your fish prepared for possible delays. If it is going to belong than a 48 hour trip, pack them accordingly.
What You Can Do To Help
If you are a fish collector and do not practice a sustainable harvest method of collecting, start! For those of you that are wholesalers, retailers, or fish shop owners, be aware of where your fish are coming from and only buy from responsible, top quality fish suppliers. Don't expect any less!
For you as a consumer, demand that your local fish store gives you the finest quality fish they can find. This means inspecting the fish thoroughly for frayed fins, cloudy eyes, missing scales, burnt fins, etc., and that you see them eating before you buy them. If enough people stop buying junk fish from junk suppliers, the junk suppliers will either have to provide a better quality fish or stop selling them all together. The problem over a short period of time will become self eliminating from the junk supplier down to the junk collector if you just say NO, I won't accept anything less than a PERFECT specimen. Amazingly, if every Aquarist in the world did this the industry would be forced to clean itself up, or perish. The price of specimens might (probably would) increase slightly, but wouldn't it be worth it at twice the price? Think about it. Would you rather watch a new specimen spiral to the bottom of your tank, or swim happily in a secure environment for many years into the future?
John H. Tullock and The American Marinelife Dealers Association (AMDA) has been listing suppliers for years that they consider certified or qualified, that follow responsible fish care practices. John and AMDA have been strong advocates of the establishment of the Marine Aquarium Council for years, which has finally been formed. The goal of MAC is to ensure a sustainable future for the marine aquarium industry, organisms and habitat through market incentives that encourage and support quality and sustainable practices. Many of these practices are like the ones we have discussed in this article.
It's really too bad that more fisher persons, whether ornamental or commercial food types, have not been conscientious enough to figure out sustainable harvest methods for themselves years ago! If you keep taking too much it will eventually not give back anything, and this is something we feel applies to ALL aspects of life.
Happy Fish & Reef Keeping,
Debbie & Stan Hauter
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Jim Merickel - Your Guide to Ecology
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