The most heated discussions during the three-day meeting of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council last month concerned the reach of the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. For years, council executive director Kitty Simonds has made no secret of … Continued
After a ban on congressional earmarks, many thought the practice of members of Congress setting aside special funds for favored projects may have ended. Not so fast. Nowadays, expenditures for pet projects not included in the proposed budgets of federal … Continued
DLNR Eats $230,000 Remediation Bill for Contaminated North Kona Property It’s not unusual for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to request permission from the Board of Land and Natural Resources to write off uncollectible accounts. Rarely does the amount … Continued
A year ago, the nightly network newscasts were focused on the extravagant spending by the General Services Administration – specifically, a Las Vegas convention for its employees that cost taxpayers $820,000. After congressional inquiries into the event, attended by 320 … Continued
It’s finally settled. James Pflueger’s company, Pila`a 400, LLC, must pay the state $4 million for damaging the reef at Pila`a Bay in North Kaua`i. After heavy rains in November 2001, a massive wall of mud from Pila`a 400‘s mauka … Continued
Council Loses an Advisor: Robin Baird, one of the leading experts on false killer whales in waters around Hawai`i, has resigned from the Protected Species Advisory Committee of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Wespac). Baird resigned effective January 31. The … Continued
Use of Monk Seal Bait Sparks Debate Over Permit to Cull Sharks in NWHI “There’s a big difference between taking an action to kill versus using the flesh of an animal already dead,” said at-large Board of Land and Natural … Continued
Humpback Delisting Petition: A newly formed association claiming to represent Hawai`i fishermen wants to remove the North Pacific population of humpback whales from the federal list of endangered species.The group, calling itself Hawai`i Fishermen’s Alliance for Conservation and Tradition, Inc. (HFACT), … Continued
None of the council members seemed particularly bothered by what pre-eminent marine scientist Jeffrey Polovina just told them — that there is clear evidence longline fishers in Hawaiian waters are “fishing down the food web.” The term refers to fishery-induced … Continued
DLNR to Create Trust Fund For Coral Reef Restoration “We need it yesterday,” Department of Land and Natural Resources director William Aila said of the proposed new scheme to help his department restore damaged reefs and bill those responsible. During … Continued