Richard Xie President/Owner: Hawaiian Sealife Inc. Post Larvae- Definition Most reef fish have a pelagic larval duration Can last days, weeks or months, depending on the species Eggs Adults Ornamental trade Post-larvae COLONIZATION Rearing Restocking Larvae Food DISPERSION 1
PL Collection in Hawaii We have collectors on Maui, Oahu and Kauai since September 2008 (only collecting for 3 months) We have caught hundreds of fish over the course of 3 months Mostly damsels, cardinals, Nasos and filefish Have also caught snapper, surgeons, butterfly s and many others HSL has begun shipping these fish Japan with good results 2
PL Collection Elsewhere HSL will be starting PL collection in Kiritimati (Christmas Island) and Marshall Islands in 2009 Currently have a grant from CRISP to work with the people of Christmas Island to begin PL collection (Feb-March 2009) Have trained collector in Marshall to use light traps This will help HSL to begin getting fish from around the Pacific from Hawaii Education Program Collecting PL s and giving them to local schools around Honolulu Allows students to raise some of the hardy PL s in captivity for one semester They then release the fish back onto the reef Trying to promote biology and aquaculture in Hawaii (nonprofit) 3
Problems Collecting PL s Unfortunately, only Reunion Island is still collecting Small-scale PL collection by itself is not profitable Only having 3 or 4 traps per country is viable way to do business Individual collectors can not market their product to help change the current desires in accepting PL not a Individual collectors can not gain enough critical mass to market themselves to wholesalers OR make enough money to stay in business HSL wishes to implement a Hub and Spoke model of PL collection HSL Hawaii will be the wholesaler for all of the Pacific PL collecting locations All PL s from Hawaii, Kiribati and Marshall will be funneled into Hawaii for worldwide distribution in 2009 HSL wishes to add other countries to this list 4
Each country needs more than 3-6 traps At least 10-15 traps per country will allow critical mass to be gained Critical mass means PL collection becomes profitable for collectors HSL will promote PL s as the new gold standard for collected fish Fish already adapted to captivity, therefore less stress related disease Fish already accepting dry food PL s will be promoted as tank raised fish, therefore longer life expectancies Do It Yourself Center (DIY) HSL envisions a large warehouse with PL s open to the public Hawaii has 6 million tourists Tourists can see PL s from the Pacific Tourists can purchase their favorite juvenile fish 5 year plan for PL collection 5
Exciting Hands-on activities In order to make the Hub and Spoke Model happen, HSL needs three things: 1. HSL needs former PL collecting countries to resume light trap harvests 2. HSL requires an infrastructure build out of their warehouse 3. Aquaculture knowledge for very young fish in supplier locations These will require international cooperation and funding to help jumpstart a sustainable, fledgling industry 6
HSL s Role In Hub and Spoke Model HSL will be the PL promotion spearhead Able to apply marketing pressure to the industry to accept tank raised, juvenile fish HSL will be the central distribution hub for the Pacific HSL has 400 customers in 27 countries If more regions join in, then HSL will command more pricing power, thus making PL collection more profitable for suppliers Conclusion HSL wants to make PL collection a viable and sustainable new industry for marine ornamentals In order to do so, HSL needs help from industry professionals on: Marketing Strategies Aquaculture International Collaborations Infrastructure As more hobbyists demand tank raised fish more reefs become closed to fishing, PL collection is the only immediate alternative with today s technology 7
Mahalo!! Any questions? Post Larvae- Reason To Collect More environmentally sustainable Fish taken before major population bottleneck (99%) mortality for post larval fish in the wild) means less impact on reef ecosystem Post larvae are relatively easy to wean onto dry food Lower mortality rate for tank reared fish Tank raised fish convert quickly to dry food, are less stressed in a tank and are therefore more resistant to handling and disease Tank raised fish are being demanded by more hobbyists 8