A huge area of the open ocean lying between Hawai`i and Mexico could be open to the mining of metallic nodules found on the seafloor as early as the middle of next year. And, at this time, it’s an open … Continued
Locals have long complained about over-tourism in Hawaiʻi — that vacation rentals are transforming their neighborhoods, that tour helicopters are constantly buzzing over their homes, that their once-favorite hiking trials are now clogged with throngs of visitors wielding selfie-sticks … … Continued
Kihei High Update: “While construction of the two classroom buildings, administration building, and locker rooms is proceeding at a brisk pace, due to some unavoidable construction and material delays, we have been informed that completion of these new facilities will … Continued
Whales on the Line, I: Last year, the Hawai`i-based longline tuna fleet hooked five false killer whales inside the Exclusive Economic Zone around Hawai`i. All of the animals were determined to have been mortally or seriously injured (M/SI) by the … Continued
PRI Planning: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are inviting public input as a first step toward developing a management plan for the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The monument, which covers almost half … Continued
NWHI Sanctuary? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has launched the process of designating the marine portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as a national marine sanctuary. NOAA announced on November 19 that it would be taking comments on … Continued
When the virtual meeting of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council opened on September 21, chair Archie Soliai led off with a Christian prayer. Although the council is a federal body, no one objected. Rather, participants on the WebEx screen … Continued
Bottlenose bullies. That pretty much describes the behavior of some of the bottlenose dolphins that frequent the waters near Makako Bay, just north of the Kona airport. Up until about 2006, most of the dolphins in the area were the much smaller … Continued
On October 16, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that a draft recovery plan for the Main Hawaiian Islands insular population of false killer whales had been prepared and was open for public comment. The insular population, numbering 167 individuals, … Continued
At the virtual meeting last month of the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT), it became clear, early on, that agreement on substantive recom- mendations the group is tasked with making to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) would be difficult, if … Continued