Tom Oiye

Tom Oiye‚ passion for fishing started when he was only four and began fishing for trout on his grandparents farm on the banks of the Gallatin River in Montana. Growing up, he accompanied his father on yellowtail and albacore fishing trips and also developed a passion for fly-fishing freestone creeks and rivers. For 20 years, he fished for salmon, striped bass, albacore, and rock cod from a 17-foot Boston whaler outside the Golden Gate and in Monterey Bay, California.

In 1999, Tom moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, where he fished daily for three years and sold his catch commercially. Today, Tom fishes recreationally and commercially for Wahoo (ONO), mahi-mahi, the deep 7 bottom fish, Opelu, and Ahi. Tom is also a retired NAUI Scuba Dive master.

In 2003, Tom successfully organized a group of local fishermen and Native Hawaiians to fight against Hawaii‚ first proposed commercial open ocean aquaculture project, Ahi Nui. He researched the environmental disasters associated with net pen, or offshore, aquaculture in other parts of the world and studied Hawaii‚ environmental laws. Tom‚ groups were successful in blocking the Ahi Nui (Open Net Pen) Tuna Farm project. Later on, Tom consulted for another group in Molokai to block another proposed offshore aquaculture operation.

Tom is deeply committed to preserving ocean resources for future generations. He believes that profit motives fueled by corporate greed conflict with the ideals of ‚sustainably feeding the world.” Tom is delighted that today there are a growing number of people on Hawaii‚ Big Island who have passionately taken on the responsibility of educating local people about the detrimental impacts associated with the offshore aquaculture industry.

‚The ocean is a fragile resource,” Tom explains. ‚Globally, fish stocks are dwindling as fishing pressure and pollution from land destroy reef habitat. Reefs serve as a nursery for many species‚Äîsome of which ultimately end up on the plates of consumers.” Tom is deeply concerned that the marketing of aquaculture interests is deceptive and fails to disclose the risks these operations pose to reef environments. For example, Tom points out, so-called ‚nutrients” from fish farms act as fertilizer to fuel the growth of green and red algae, which eventually kills the reefs. Tom is also concerned that two nearshore aquaculture projects currently proposed for Kawaihae will harm the reef by attracting predators and/or accidentally releasing fish.

Tom believes the government has a fiduciary responsibility to uphold based on what is known about offshore aquaculture in other countries. He believes that the ‚precautionary principle” under public trust doctrine is being ignored for short-term profits, and that long-term consequences will harm the resource beyond repair for many generations into the future. Tom concludes, ‚We owe it to our children and our children‚ children to pass on unharmed this resource that has given so much to our generation.”