Hawaii collection laws??

Im gonna be in Maui in a week doing a lot of snorkeling/diving. Pretty sure taking any type of coral is illegal but I was more interested in interesting rock shapes/shells etc that would look nice on my aquascape. Anyone know if there are any laws concerning things like these?

 

Im pretty sure for Hawaii you need an expensive license to collect anything. That is why you dont see much live rock from Hawaii for sale.

 

haha. "To obtain the Expensive Collection Licence for Hawaii Collection of Interesting Rock: you must pay a large sum of money at an expensive amount to obtain an expensive license." - Hawaii Bureau of Wildlife Collection

Joking aside, I don't know exact laws pertaining particularly to rock, but I am pretty sure it's not allowed either.

 

I read some laws restricting the commercial sale of some of those things but nothing much concerning personal collection.

 

The taking of sand, coral rubble or other marine deposits is permitted in certain circumstances. The material may not exceed one gallon per person per day, and may be taken only for personal, noncommercial purposes. HRS �171-58.5, �205A-44

 

Karma to RAH for finding that. It looks like you might be good to go. You'd have to find out exactly where it is and isn't allowed though.

 

§188-31 Permits to take aquatic life for aquarium purposes. (a) Except as prohibited by law, the department, upon receipt of a written application, may issue an aquarium fish permit, not longer than one year in duration, to use fine meshed traps, or fine meshed nets other than throw nets, for the taking of marine or freshwater nongame fish and other aquatic life for aquarium purposes.

(b) Except as prohibited by law, the permits shall be issued only to persons who can satisfy the department that they possess facilities to and can maintain fish and other aquatic life alive and in reasonable health.

(c) It shall be illegal to sell or offer for sale any fish and other aquatic life taken under an aquarium fish permit unless those fish and other aquatic life are sold alive for aquarium purposes.

The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 for the purpose of this section.

(d) For the purposes of this section:

(1) "Aquarium purposes" means to hold salt water fish, freshwater nongame fish, or other aquatic life alive in a state of captivity as pets, for scientific study, or for public exhibition or display, or for sale for these purposes; and

(2) "Aquarium fish permit" means a permit issued by the board for the use of fine mesh nets and traps to take salt water fish, freshwater nongame fish, or other aquatic life for aquarium purposes. [L 1953, c 124, §§1, 2, 3; RL 1955, §21-64; am L 1961, c 30, §§1, 2 and c 132, §2; HRS §188-31; am L 1979, c 154, §1; gen ch 1985; am L 1992, c 96, §2]

 

You really have to be careful...what you may consider a shell or piece of dead coral/rock may have some living critter on it. Honestly, the risk of you accidentally picking up something that is illegal to collect is not worth it IMO. The fines are steep and if HI is anything like FL ignorance of the law will get you no where.

 

They always tell me "when you take something, you must leave something in return."

I usually leave a quarter (US .25$) for every specimen I take.

Maybe I'm cheap, but the locals seem to consider it a fair trade. That being said, I have never taken anything back to California.

 

Ignorance of the law is not a valid plea no matter which state you are in.