HB 565 Summary

• Establishes a "white list" system for aquarium aquatic life collection managed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, with separate lists for each county.

• Restricts collection to only species on the white list that can survive 180+ days in captivity, have stable or increasing populations, and are not endemic to Hawaii.

• Caps annual collection of each species at the average collected during 2005-2007 and prohibits species whose removal would harm reef ecosystems (such as herbivores or cleaner fish).

• Excludes endemic Hawaiian species from commercial collection entirely.

• Imposes penalties of $1,000 per specimen collected illegally, plus escalating fines and jail time for violations (up to $3,000 and 90 days for third offense within five years).