DON'T REOPEN THE AQUARIUM TRADE

TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT HAWAIʻI’S REEF FISH

1️⃣ Attend the in-person hearing April 1, 2026 — Hawaiʻi Island

2️⃣ Come with a friend or family member

3️⃣ or, Testify by Zoom March 31, 2026 — statewide

Even a 1–3 minute statement helps. 

Community members from across Hawaiʻi Island are expected to attend.
Please join us to speak up for our reefs.

Public Hearing Dates

📅 March 31, 2026, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Testify online via Zoom

Register at: https://tinyurl.com/AQPublicHearing)

📅 April 1, 2026, 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., In-Person Hearing

Kealakehe High School Cafeteria (IN PERSON ONLY)

74-5000 Puohulihuli Street, Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i 96740

West Hawaiʻi reefs need our voices.

If you can attend in person, please do. Decision-makers notice when the room is full of community members who care about protecting Hawaiʻi’s reefs.

You do not have to speak — simply attending helps show community support.

Speakers typically have 1–3 minutes to testify.

Come with a friend or family member and help show strong community support for Hawaiʻi’s reef fish.

Why This Matters

The State of Hawaiʻi is considering new rules that would allow large-scale aquarium fish collection to return to West Hawaiʻi reefs.

In 2023, the Board of Land and Natural Resources unanimously supported a community-led proposal to ban commercial aquarium collection statewide, but then turned around and stated it lacked authority to impose a full ban and instead directed the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) to develop rules short of zero.

Instead, DAR has produced a rule that would reopen West Hawaiʻi reefs to large-scale aquarium fish collection. Communities across Hawaiʻi expected strong protections for reef fish — not a return of the aquarium trade.

Before aquarium collection was halted in 2017, millions of reef fish were removed from these reefs for the global aquarium trade.

Reef fish play an essential role in maintaining healthy coral reefs, which are already under increasing pressure from climate change and other impacts.

Public testimony can influence the final decision.

How You Can Help

✔ Attend the hearing and speak, opposing the rules (1–3 minutes)
✔ Testify by Zoom if you cannot attend in person
✔ Submit written testimony

You do not need to be an expert — just care about our reefs.

30-Second Talking Points - #1 point you OPPOSE the AQ rules

• Reef fish belong on the reef — not in aquariums.
• Millions of reef fish were already taken from West Hawaiʻi reefs for the aquarium trade.
• Reef fish help keep coral reefs healthy.
• Our reefs are already under pressure from climate change and other impacts.
• Hawaiʻi’s reefs are too important to risk reopening this fishery.

Submit Written Testimony if You Cannot Attend Zoom or In-person

The deadline to submit written testimony is Sunday, April 12, 2026. 

Email to DAR.Testimony@hawaii.gov 

Sample text:

My name is ______ and I'm from ______(town/community)

I OPPOSE the aquarium trade rules.

Then add a few talking points/reasons for your opposition.

Share This Action

Please share this page with friends, family, and community members who care about Hawaiʻi’s reefs.

Together we can mālama our reef fish.