Caught On Camera: Aquarium Fish Collector Attacks Conservationist Over Wildlife

<p>Wikimedia Commons</p>
<p>Wikimedia Commons</p>

An underwater spat between two divers that was caught on camera recently reveals just how serious the debate over wildlife conservation in Hawaii has become. While on a dive to record the actions of an aquarium fish collector, animal welfare advocate Rene Umberger was attacked by the collector and had her diving regulator ripped from her mouth, which easily could have caused her to die.

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Umberger, the director of the Maui-based group For the Fishes, was able to recover -- but she still had a harassment complaint filed against her by the collector, despite being the one who was attacked. That's because what the fish collector was doing was entirely legal. As the Associated Press reports, aquarium fishing is legal off the Kona coast, where the incident occurred, and where fishermen are responsible for the vast majority of aquarium catches in Hawaii:

Hawaii's aquarium fish collectors reported catching more than 550,000 specimens worth $1.1 million in 2009, according to a state report published in 2010. The value of the actual catch, however, may be two to five times that amount, the report said.

The two most commonly captured species are yellow tang, which, as its name indicates, is bright yellow, and goldring surgeonfish, which are blue, yellow and rusty red with white stripes. ... Aquarium fish collecting is legal off Kona, but fisherman must avoid certain places and collect only certain species.

But, despite its legality, aquarium fishing removes vital species from marine ecosystems. Conservationists argue that legal fish capture leaves coral reefs vulnerable to algae overgrowth, hurting other wildlife as a result. Robert Wintner, director of Snorkel Bob Foundation (which captured the video of Umberger's attack), told the AP that he's spent years lobbying state legislators to regulate or end the aquarium fish collecting trade, but to no avail. Now, he's turned to organizations like Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for help documenting the effects of the collection, in hopes it will be more productive. "Underwater is under the radar," Wintner said. "Our entire objective is to bring a little sunshine on this, bring these facts to surface."