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
More than three years ago, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court issued its ruling in a case that many observers thought would halt commercial aquarium fish collection, at least for a time. The high court determined in Umberger v. Dep’t of Land and Natural Res. that … Continued
Last May, the Board of Land and Natural Resources refused to accept an environmental impact statement that had been prepared by a private group seeking to reopen much of the west coast of Hawai‘i island to commercial aquarium fish collectors. In … Continued
Some 17 years ago, Leon Hallacher and Brian Tissot undertook to assess the impact of aquarium fish collectors on the population of reef fish along the Kona coast of the Big Island. To collect the data needed, undergraduates were trained to identify the … Continued
FKW Injury: Another false killer whale has been injured in an interaction with the Hawai‘i longline fishery. This time, the interaction occurred when a shallow-set longliner targeting swordfish hooked the animal, making it an extremely unusual event. Interactions between false killer whales and longliners … Continued
The Department of Land and Natural Resources has been under pressure in recent years to transition, where appropriate, long-held revocable permits to a long-term disposition, be it a lease or an easement. But in the case of a nine-acre lot … Continued