At the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council’s meeting in June, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) research ecologist Amanda Bradford presented new data on the ranges of Hawaiian false killer whales (FKW), which the council then seized on as proof … Continued
The lecture hall at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo was packed to the rafters for two days in June. Under the direction of Stanford University’s Peter Vitousek, one of the foremost figures in the study of Hawaiian ecosystems, around … Continued
Agribusiness Corporation Receives Lands For Aquaculture, Renewable Energy Purposes Over the past few months, the Land Board has been transferring pieces of land on O`ahu – large and small – to the state Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC). Unlike the Land … Continued
Environmental Courts: The 2014 legislative session was not distinguished by passage of strong new environmental laws. Still, one of the last bills signed into law by Governor Neil Abercrombie merits some attention. Act 218 establishes a system of environmental courts within … Continued
The National Marine Fisheries Service says that a petition to delist the Hawai`i population of green sea turtles – removing its status as threatened under the Endangered Species Act – “may be warranted.” “We find that the petition viewed in … Continued
Alison Rieser. The Case of the Green Turtle: An Uncensored History of a Conservation Icon. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. 338 pages. $45.00 hardbound. The green turtle, Chelonia mydas, is much in the news in Hawai`i these days, what with … Continued
`Aina Le`a Appeal: The Hawai`i County Planning Department has approved the application for a planned unit development (PUD) consisting of 70 single-family residential lots on about 25 acres of land owned by `Aina Le`a, Inc. But on July 25, a … Continued
The losing streak continues for the state Commission on Water Resource Management. And the environmentalists, farmers, and native Hawaiian cultural practitioners seeking to restore stream flow in West Maui couldn’t be happier. On August 15, the Hawai`i Supreme Court vacated … Continued
At this year’s Hawai`i Conservation Conference, held once again at the Hawai`i Convention Center in Honolulu, scientists and natural resource managers recounted their successes in improving native ecosystems and protecting native species. They also expanded on their assessment of the … Continued
Our August story, “New Stock Assessment of Pelagic Population of False Killer Whales,” regrettably included several errors and failed to note several important points. The following is intended to correct and/or clarify misstatements and omissions in our piece. Our statement … Continued