Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie & Dept. of Land and Natural Resources: Ban the Aquarium Trade in Hawaii!
Hawaii is the 3rd largest supplier of reef wildlife for U.S. saltwater aquariums. Every year millions of reef animals are collected on Hawaii reefs and shipped out for sale in the aquarium hobby.
Hawaii's reefs cannot support this exploitation or the massive extraction from collected reefs compared to protected reefs. Heavily targeted species average 90% less abundance on Oahu's reefs and 73% less abundance on the Big Island. Some species taken by the trade are nearly gone, while others are threatened with extinction.
No Turtle Bay Resort expansion beyond the current footprint.
Turtle Bay Resort is home to Hawaiian Monk Seals, Green Sea Turtles, Hawksbill Turtles, Hawaiian Moorhens, Hawaiian Stilts, Hawaiian Coots, Hawaiian Ducks, Hawaiian Hawaiian Petrels, Shearwaters, Hawaiian Bats, Coastal Damselflies, Ohai (sesbania-tomentosa) and others that are protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Turtle Bay is the winter home of many migratory birds, Bristle Thighed Curlews, Dowitchers, Golden Plovers, Sanderlings and many others all protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). There are many other birds, fish, invertebrates, and plants that are protected at the State level as endemic (found only in Hawaii) and native.
Turtle Bay is a coastal wetland and contains important bay (Kawela Bay), dune and wetland habitat. The Resort owners propose a sprawling development that will destroy fragile ecosystems that are home for these protected animals and plants. The number of "units" is set to triple, retail outlets, roads, condos and hotels will combine to destroy even the undeveloped "buffer" zones presently supporting these protected species. Even though the property is degraded by the presence of a hotel, condos and golf courses it contains enough fragile ecosystems to warrant restoration and preservation. Other laws protecting species and habitats at Turtle Bay are the Marine Mammal Protection Act, The Clean Water Act, it is part of the Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary. There is Supporting Habitat for four species of Endangered Waterbirds ON the property and the adjacent James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge is Critical Habitat for them. There are 120 species of birds documented there. Please do not expand Turtle Bay Resort beyond the current footprint. Thank you!