2025-01-28T21:20:39-05:00 2023-12-31 273889165 BARBARA J QUERRY LLC 411 HUKU LII PL STE 202 KIHEI HI 96753 990EZ 2023-01-01 473469519 FOR THE FISHES FORT 8082837225 PO BOX 1894 KIHEI HI 96753 LYNN ALLEN PRESIDENT 8082837225 2024-11-12 true false BARBARA J QUERRY CPA P00313496 8088568137 2025-01-21 X 2023 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z X X WWW.FORTHEFISHES.ORG X X 172787 X 171586 1201 172787 92991 9912 102903 69884 122303 192187 X 122208 192340 225 122433 192340 130 153 122303 192187 X TO ADDRESS, EDUCATE, COORDINATE, AND ENHANCE ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY TO END TEH TRADE IN CORAL REEF WILDLIFE FOR HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER SMALL DISPLAY AQUARIUMS. OUR SUPPLY AND DEMAND SIDE STRATEGIES ARE DIRECTED LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY TO FACILITATE POSITIVE SHIFTS AT THE FISHERY, DISTRIBUTION, POLICY AND CONSUMER LEVELS. 1.EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: FOR THE FISHES (FTF) ADVOCATES FOR THE END OF THE CAPTURE, PURCHASE, AND DISPLAY OF WILD MARINE LIFE IN PERSONAL SALTWATER AQUARIUMS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY, ENFORCEMENT, COALITION BUILDING, AND EFFORTS AIMED AT REDUCING CONSUMER DEMAND FOR WILD MARINE LIFE. THE FOCUS OF FTFS MAIN EFFORTS IS IN HAWAII, WHICH HISTORICALLY WAS THE WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST SOURCE OF WILD REEF FISHES AND OTHER CREATURES FOR THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE WHICH SELLS WILDLIFE TO AQUARIUM HOBBYIST, BUSINESSES, AND INSTITUTIONS WORLDWIDE. HAWAII'S COMPARATIVELY SMALL CORAL REEFS WERE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY DECADES OF OVER-EXPLOITATION. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2017, HAWAII AQUARIUM COLLECTORS CAPTURED AT LEAST 490,508 MARINE ANIMALS, AN AMOUNT SEVERAL TIMES HIGHER THAN TYPICALLY TAKEN FROM AUSTRALIA'S ENTIRE GREAT BARRIER REEF WHICH IS 300 TIMES LARGER THAN HAWAII'S REEF AREA. HEAVILY TARGETED SPECIES HAVE BEEN DEPLETED BY UPWARDS OF 90% IN SOME OF HAWAII'S MOST HEAVILY IMPACTED AREAS. FTF HAS LONG ADVOCATED FOR THE NEED FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT AND SOLUTIONS. THE STATE'S FAILURE TO ENACT RULES OR LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THE TRADES IMPACTS LED FTFS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO PURSUE LEGAL REMEDIES, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF PARTNERS. WITH PRO BONO REPRESENTATION BY EARTHJUSTICE, THE NATION'S LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FIRM, THE FIRST LAW SUIT REACHED HAWAII'S SUPREME COURT AND RESULTED IN A RULING IN LATE 2017 THAT AQUARIUM COLLECTION PERMITS WERE ILLEGAL AND INVALID FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE HAWAI'I ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (HEPA). SINCE THEN, THE AQUARIUM TRADE HAS DRAFTED NUMEROUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS (EISS) AIMED AT REOPENING HAWAII'S REEFS TO THEIR OPERATIONS. NONE HAVE BEEN LEGALLY ACCEPTED. A SECOND SUIT IN 2020 CLOSED AN ILLEGAL LOOPHOLE LEVERAGED BY THE STATE OF HAWAII THAT HAD ALLOWED AQUARIUM COLLECTION TO CONTINUE IN SOME AREAS, WITHOUT THE COURT-ORDERED ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. 2023 WAS THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT HAWAII'S REEFS WERE FREE FROM THE DESTRUCTIVE AQUARIUM TRADE. THE ABSENCE OF AQUARIUM COLLECTION HAS RESULTED IN MILLIONS MORE ESSENTIAL REEF FISHES AND INVERTEBRATES ON HAWAII'S REEFS, ENHANCING THEIR HEALTH, BEAUTY, RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AND IMMENSE BENEFITS TO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, ALIKE. THIS INCREASE IN MARINE LIFE ABUNDANCE IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF FTFS WORK THAT HAS, THUS FAR, PREVENTED THE RESUMPTION OF AQUARIUM COLLECTION UNDER DEEPLY FLAWED EISS. HAWAII SHARK PROTECTION: ON JANUARY 1, 2022 THE HAWAII SHARK PROTECTION ACT TOOK EFFECT, AND HAWAII BECAME THE FIRST STATE IN THE NATION TO PROHIBIT THE INTENTIONAL OR KNOWING CAPTURE OR ENTANGLEMENT OF ANY SHARK, WHETHER ALIVE OR DEAD, OR KILLING OF ANY SHARK, WITHIN STATE MARINE WATERS. IN 2021 FTF AND ITS PARTNERS IN THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY LED THE EFFORT TO PASS THIS NEW LAW. FTF HAS CONTINUED TO REACH HAWAII RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARKS TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN CULTURE, THEIR IMPORTANT ROLE IN A HEATHY OCEAN ECOSYSTEM AND THE PASSAGE OF THE HAWAII SHARK PROTECTION ACT IN SIGNAGE DISPLAYED AT HAWAII'S HARBORS AND BOAT RAMPS, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES. TANK WATCH: MOST PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE THAT FEWER THAN 5% OF THE FISH SPECIES KEPT IN SALTWATER AQUARIUMS CAN BE AQUACULTURED ON A COMMERCIAL SCALE, OR THAT THE U.S. MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE ANNUALLY IMPORTS OVER 11 MILLION WILD CORAL REEF FISHES FOR AQUARIUM HOBBYISTS, SMALL BUSINESS AND LARGE PUBLIC DISPLAY AQUARIUMS. FOR THE FISHES ADVOCATES FOR AN END TO THE KEEPING OF WILD MARINE LIFE IN PERSONAL SALTWATER AQUARIUMS AND WORKS TO EDUCATE CONSUMERS AND THE PUBLIC IN ORDER TO REDUCE CONSUMER DEMAND FOR THIS WILDLIFE. IN 2023 WE REACHED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AQUARIUM HOBBYISTS AND THOSE INTERESTED IN MARINE FISHKEEPING ON OUR WEBPAGE, TANK WATCH, DESIGNED TO EDUCATE MARINE AQUARIUM HOBBYISTS AND THROUGH SEARCH ENGINE ADS THANKS TO A GENEROUS IN-KIND DONATION FROM GOOGLE. 78959 2. CONSERVATION: FTF WORKS TO PROTECT CORAL REEF WILDLIFE THROUGH REDUCING ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING IN THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ADVOCACY, RESEARCH, AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN DOCUMENTING AND REPORTING SUSPECTED ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE. 808-NO-POACH/ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS: FTF CONDUCTED INVESTIGATIONS STEMMING FROM INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CONCERNED CITIZENS IN HAWAII. PARTNERING WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, FTF LAID THE GROUNDWORK THAT LED TO CITATIONS, CONVICTIONS, AND LARGE FINES FOR A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THREE LARGE AQUARIUM POACHING OPERATIONS ON HAWAII ISLAND. CYANIDE FISH ASSESSMENT: EXPERTS ESTIMATE THAT UPWARDS OF 90% OF CORAL REEF FISHES SOLD IN THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE ARE ILLEGALLY CAPTURED WITH CYANIDE WHICH IS USED TO PARALYZE FISH FOR EASY CAPTURE. CYANIDE IS HIGHLY POISONOUS TO BOTH THE VERTEBRATE AND INVERTEBRATE ORGANISMS EXPOSED TO IT: AT HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS IT IS IMMEDIATELY LETHAL, AND AT LOWER CONCENTRATIONS IT CAUSES ORGAN AND TISSUE DAMAGE THAT ARE IRREVERSIBLE AND LEAD TO DELAYED MORTALITY. FTF IS WORKING WITH A LEADING CORAL EXPERT AND FORENSIC ECOTOXICOLOGIST IN RESEARCH TO ASSESS THE PREVALENCE OF CYANIDE- CAUGHT FISH IN THE U.S. MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE. 14199 93158 RENE UMBERGER EXECUTIVE DI 40.00 48000 LYNN ALLEN PRESIDENT 1.00 0 BROOKE PORTER SECRETARY 1.00 0 LINDA WRIGHT TREASURER 1.00 0 MARK SCHACHT DIRECTOR 1.00 0 AMY VENEMA DIRECTOR 1.00 0 LAURA LEGGE DIRECTOR 1.00 0 false false false false false false false false false HI RENE UMBERGER PO BOX 1894 KIHEI HI 96753 8082837225 false false false false false false false false true false false NONE NONE true X 116378 85149 101619 134422 171586 609154 499 250 6933 5769 1201 14652 116877 85399 108552 140191 172787 623806 623806 116877 85399 108552 140191 172787 623806 1.00000 1.00000 0.00000 0.00000 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 1661 6281 7942 94961 102903 20581 5145 20473 19843 24750 20581 85647 128471 3830 5341 7161 7942 24274 5118 4961 6188 5145 21412 32118 560 217 1851 1661 4289 SCHEDULE C, PART II-A ORGANIZATION IS NOT PART OF AN AFFILIATED GROUP. SCHEDULE C, PART II-B, LINE 1 IN CALENDAR YEAR 2023, FOR THE FISHES HAD A CONSULTANT WHO ENGAGED IN A LIMITED AMOUNT OF LOBBYING (6,200), AS DID THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR GRASS ROOTS (1,661)AND LOBBYING (81). SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS VIA EMAIL, OR PHONE AND IN-PERSON MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS AND/OR THEIR STAFF MEMBERS, OR MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH; TOTAL LOBBYING AND GRASS ROOTS EXPENDITURES WERE 7,942. FORM 990-EZ, PAGE 1, ITEM B TAX RETURN IS BEING AMENDED TO INCLUDE "OTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE EXPENDITURES" ON LINE 1D OF PART II-A ON SCHEDULE C. FORM 990-EZ, PART I, LINE 16 EXPENSES ADVERTISING & PROMOTION 52 OFFICE EXPENSE 364 PRINTING/SIGNAGE 1,089 POSTAGE 1,071 APP PLATFORM FEE/WEB FEES 3,272 TRAVEL 260 INSURANCE 1,908 EDUCATIONAL LITERATURE 339 FEES 455 GENERAL EXCISE TAX 79 MISCELLANEOUS 315 SUPPLIES 708 TOTAL 9,912 FORM 990-EZ, PART II, LINE 24 DUE FROM FACEBOOK 225 0 TOTAL 225 0 FORM 990-EZ, PART II, LINE 26 CREDIT CARD PAYABLE 130 153 FORM 990-EZ, PART III TO ADDRESS, EDUCATE, COORDINATE, AND ENHANCE ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY TO END TEH TRADE IN CORAL REEF WILDLIFE FOR HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER SMALL DISPLAY AQUARIUMS. OUR SUPPLY AND DEMAND SIDE STRATEGIES ARE DIRECTED LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY TO FACILITATE POSITIVE SHIFTS AT THE FISHERY, DISTRIBUTION, POLICY AND CONSUMER LEVELS. FORM 990-EZ, PART III, LINE 28 1.EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: FOR THE FISHES (FTF) ADVOCATES FOR THE END OF THE CAPTURE, PURCHASE, AND DISPLAY OF WILD MARINE LIFE IN PERSONAL SALTWATER AQUARIUMS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY, ENFORCEMENT, COALITION BUILDING, AND EFFORTS AIMED AT REDUCING CONSUMER DEMAND FOR WILD MARINE LIFE. THE FOCUS OF FTFS MAIN EFFORTS IS IN HAWAII, WHICH HISTORICALLY WAS THE WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST SOURCE OF WILD REEF FISHES AND OTHER CREATURES FOR THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE WHICH SELLS WILDLIFE TO AQUARIUM HOBBYIST, BUSINESSES, AND INSTITUTIONS WORLDWIDE. HAWAII'S COMPARATIVELY SMALL CORAL REEFS WERE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY DECADES OF OVER-EXPLOITATION. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2017, HAWAII AQUARIUM COLLECTORS CAPTURED AT LEAST 490,508 MARINE ANIMALS, AN AMOUNT SEVERAL TIMES HIGHER THAN TYPICALLY TAKEN FROM AUSTRALIA'S ENTIRE GREAT BARRIER REEF WHICH IS 300 TIMES LARGER THAN HAWAII'S REEF AREA. HEAVILY TARGETED SPECIES HAVE BEEN DEPLETED BY UPWARDS OF 90% IN SOME OF HAWAII'S MOST HEAVILY IMPACTED AREAS. FTF HAS LONG ADVOCATED FOR THE NEED FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT AND SOLUTIONS. THE STATE'S FAILURE TO ENACT RULES OR LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THE TRADES IMPACTS LED FTFS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO PURSUE LEGAL REMEDIES, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF PARTNERS. WITH PRO BONO REPRESENTATION BY EARTHJUSTICE, THE NATION'S LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FIRM, THE FIRST LAW SUIT REACHED HAWAII'S SUPREME COURT AND RESULTED IN A RULING IN LATE 2017 THAT AQUARIUM COLLECTION PERMITS WERE ILLEGAL AND INVALID FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE HAWAI'I ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (HEPA). SINCE THEN, THE AQUARIUM TRADE HAS DRAFTED NUMEROUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS (EISS) AIMED AT REOPENING HAWAII'S REEFS TO THEIR OPERATIONS. NONE HAVE BEEN LEGALLY ACCEPTED. A SECOND SUIT IN 2020 CLOSED AN ILLEGAL LOOPHOLE LEVERAGED BY THE STATE OF HAWAII THAT HAD ALLOWED AQUARIUM COLLECTION TO CONTINUE IN SOME AREAS, WITHOUT THE COURT-ORDERED ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. 2023 WAS THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT HAWAII'S REEFS WERE FREE FROM THE DESTRUCTIVE AQUARIUM TRADE. THE ABSENCE OF AQUARIUM COLLECTION HAS RESULTED IN MILLIONS MORE ESSENTIAL REEF FISHES AND INVERTEBRATES ON HAWAII'S REEFS, ENHANCING THEIR HEALTH, BEAUTY, RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AND IMMENSE BENEFITS TO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, ALIKE. THIS INCREASE IN MARINE LIFE ABUNDANCE IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF FTFS WORK THAT HAS, THUS FAR, PREVENTED THE RESUMPTION OF AQUARIUM COLLECTION UNDER DEEPLY FLAWED EISS. HAWAII SHARK PROTECTION: ON JANUARY 1, 2022 THE HAWAII SHARK PROTECTION ACT TOOK EFFECT, AND HAWAII BECAME THE FIRST STATE IN THE NATION TO PROHIBIT THE INTENTIONAL OR KNOWING CAPTURE OR ENTANGLEMENT OF ANY SHARK, WHETHER ALIVE OR DEAD, OR KILLING OF ANY SHARK, WITHIN STATE MARINE WATERS. IN 2021 FTF AND ITS PARTNERS IN THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY LED THE EFFORT TO PASS THIS NEW LAW. FTF HAS CONTINUED TO REACH HAWAII RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARKS TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN CULTURE, THEIR IMPORTANT ROLE IN A HEATHY OCEAN ECOSYSTEM AND THE PASSAGE OF THE HAWAII SHARK PROTECTION ACT IN SIGNAGE DISPLAYED AT HAWAII'S HARBORS AND BOAT RAMPS, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES. TANK WATCH: MOST PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE THAT FEWER THAN 5% OF THE FISH SPECIES KEPT IN SALTWATER AQUARIUMS CAN BE AQUACULTURED ON A COMMERCIAL SCALE, OR THAT THE U.S. MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE ANNUALLY IMPORTS OVER 11 MILLION WILD CORAL REEF FISHES FOR AQUARIUM HOBBYISTS, SMALL BUSINESS AND LARGE PUBLIC DISPLAY AQUARIUMS. FOR THE FISHES ADVOCATES FOR AN END TO THE KEEPING OF WILD MARINE LIFE IN PERSONAL SALTWATER AQUARIUMS AND WORKS TO EDUCATE CONSUMERS AND THE PUBLIC IN ORDER TO REDUCE CONSUMER DEMAND FOR THIS WILDLIFE. IN 2023 WE REACHED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AQUARIUM HOBBYISTS AND THOSE INTERESTED IN MARINE FISHKEEPING ON OUR WEBPAGE, TANK WATCH, DESIGNED TO EDUCATE MARINE AQUARIUM HOBBYISTS AND THROUGH SEARCH ENGINE ADS THANKS TO A GENEROUS IN-KIND DONATION FROM GOOGLE. FORM 990-EZ, PART III, LINE 29 2. CONSERVATION: FTF WORKS TO PROTECT CORAL REEF WILDLIFE THROUGH REDUCING ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING IN THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ADVOCACY, RESEARCH, AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN DOCUMENTING AND REPORTING SUSPECTED ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE. 808-NO-POACH/ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS: FTF CONDUCTED INVESTIGATIONS STEMMING FROM INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CONCERNED CITIZENS IN HAWAII. PARTNERING WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, FTF LAID THE GROUNDWORK THAT LED TO CITATIONS, CONVICTIONS, AND LARGE FINES FOR A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THREE LARGE AQUARIUM POACHING OPERATIONS ON HAWAII ISLAND. CYANIDE FISH ASSESSMENT: EXPERTS ESTIMATE THAT UPWARDS OF 90% OF CORAL REEF FISHES SOLD IN THE MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE ARE ILLEGALLY CAPTURED WITH CYANIDE WHICH IS USED TO PARALYZE FISH FOR EASY CAPTURE. CYANIDE IS HIGHLY POISONOUS TO BOTH THE VERTEBRATE AND INVERTEBRATE ORGANISMS EXPOSED TO IT: AT HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS IT IS IMMEDIATELY LETHAL, AND AT LOWER CONCENTRATIONS IT CAUSES ORGAN AND TISSUE DAMAGE THAT ARE IRREVERSIBLE AND LEAD TO DELAYED MORTALITY. FTF IS WORKING WITH A LEADING CORAL EXPERT AND FORENSIC ECOTOXICOLOGIST IN RESEARCH TO ASSESS THE PREVALENCE OF CYANIDE- CAUGHT FISH IN THE U.S. MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE. ORGANIZATION IS NOT PART OF AN AFFILIATED GROUP.