Among the most important — but also most subtle — of the arguments made in support of increased flow to the windward side is that natural flows in streams are part of the public trust. As such, the argument continues, … Continued
In a policy decision made at the highest levels of state government, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the state Department of Agriculture allied themselves with the interests of the leeward parties in the Waiahole contested case … Continued
Before construction of the Waiahole ditch system, the stretch of the Ko`olau mountain range from Kahana to Waiahole could be thought of as an enormous reservoir. Water entered the mountains when rain, released from clouds snagged by the mountain peaks, … Continued
What would happen if, at the end of the contested case hearing, the Water Commission allows continued flows in the Waiahole Ditch? The Waiahole Irrigation Company, in anticipation of this, has established a formal mechanism for distributing water to various … Continued
The National Marine Fisheries Service has begun to re-examine the limits it has established for the incidental takings of sea turtles by the Hawai`i-based longline fishing fleet. The action was prompted by pressure from a conservation group and by NMFS’ … Continued
To address the problem of albatross being hooked by Honolulu longliners, a workshop for fishermen was held September 18, 1996. There, a handful of longline fishermen were told about techniques and equipment — nearly all of which involved minimal cost … Continued
News that the most popular species of bottomfish in Hawai`i are overfished is hardly news at all anymore. For years, populations of snappers have declining. As an indication of just how scarce the fish have become, in 1995, it was … Continued
In 1995, the Hawai`i-based longline fishing fleet caught 101,773 sharks. Roughly a third of them were finned — a process that often involves cutting fins off sharks and then returning the animals, still alive, to the ocean. Unable to navigate, … Continued
A lawsuit brought by the owners of a Hanalei boatyard against several private citizens and the county of Kaua`i has been dismissed by a federal judge. The lawsuit, which had asked for $35 million in damages, probably is the largest … Continued
A reader asks: What is happening with the state’s desalination plant at the Campbell Industrial Park on O`ahu? Construction of the plant was completed in August 1990 at a cost of $6.2 million. Campbell Estate contributed $2 million and land. … Continued