Letters 6-8-13

Tropical fish

Aila’s connection
to collecting needs
to be addressed

Erin Miller’s article on the District Court’s review of Hawaii aquarium collecting failed to point out what Department of Land and Natural Resources Director William Aila has failed to disclose all too often: that he is a longtime aquarium collector and holds the fourth aquarium collecting permit ever issued in Hawaii.

Judge Jeannette Castignelli’s ruling was based on the idea that aquarium collectors go out daily and their extraction is therefore cumulative and not the result of a single “action” or event. Castignelli said in court that she did not know much about this issue. Earthjustice was not obligated to show proof of devastation, but it did show such proof.

Also regrettable is Miller’s choice of sources on comments. Ron Tubbs is an aquarium dealer responsible for massive wildlife extraction from Hawaii reefs. He also promotes the same idea as DLNR: That aquarium collecting is not a resource issue, but a user conflict. That’s not logical. That’s self-interest and greed, no different than saying two groups using an art museum have a conflict, because Group X wants to take all the art away, and Group Y wants that removal to stop.

After appointing Aila to DLNR, Gov. Neil Abercrombie said he didn’t know Aila was an aquarium collector. Aila’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign manager, David Fry, said, “I didn’t know he was an aquarium collector either.” The judicial review may have focused on a technicality, but journalism in Hawaii should no longer suffer from oversight and lack of investigation on the real motives and who the players represent. Aila has represented the aquarium trade’s best interests since he pulled his permit and began pulling wildlife from reefs for the pet trade. While this fact may not have bearing on the court proceeding, the people have a right to know.

Robert Wintner

Owner of Snorkel Bob’s Hawaii, including Kailua-Kona

and Mauna Lani