Annual reports of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council indicate a steep rise in the shark bycatch over the last four years. (Bycatch is a term referring to fish that the fisherman does not intend to catch, but which … Continued
One of the observers employed by the Southwest Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service has sent Environment Hawai`i the following comments on the observer program: I began work with the Hawai`i Longline Observer Program because, from all appearances, it … Continued
Each year, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council receives a report on the status of the pelagic fishery. This is prepared by council staff in conjunction with the Pelagic Plan Team. Catch data and other information necessary to assess … Continued
The Pelagics Fishery Management Plan, adopted and implemented by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, regulates the taking of such fish as tunas, swordfish, mahimahi, moonfish, and sharks. About 80 percent of the total catch of these pelagic species … Continued
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council was established under the federal Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. It is one of eight such regional councils nationwide whose purpose is to regulate the exploitation of fish in federal … Continued
Last March, residents of Kihei, Maui, witnessed a gruesome spectacle. In the waters fronting their homes, a young, emaciated humpback whale, dragging more than 120 feet of nylon rope, was being eaten alive by a pack of hungry tiger sharks. … Continued
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has approved changes to its rules for lobster fishing that run smack against the state’s rules for fishing lobsters in waters under Hawai`i territorial jurisdiction. The changes may make sense for the harvesting … Continued
In November, the state Commission on Water Resource Management will open the contested case to decide who will ultimately obtain rights to use the water in the Waiahole Ditch, a system of tunnels and ditches that carries millions of gallons … Continued
Land Commission Rejects Plan to Put Laupahoehoe Streams in Conservation On October 10, 1995, the state Land Use Commission voted 7 to 1 to deny a petition to place into the Conservation District state-owned land along three streams along the … Continued
Half a Million Dollars Later, The Pu`u Anahulu Well Goes Bust The long saga of the Pu`u Anahulu well appears to be coming to a close. Environment Hawai`i reported in June 1994 that the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ … Continued