On June 2, at its first meeting of the year, the state Natural Area Reserves (NAR) Commission voted against cutting 4,000 acres from the Pu`u Maka`ala NAR on the Big Island. The only dissenter was the member appointed to represent … Continued
State Limits Hunting in Bird Sanctuary: Why? The Pu`uwa`awa`a Forest Bird Sanctuary on the island of Hawai`i is crawling with feral sheep, goats, and pigs. For that matter, the entire upper portion of the ahupua`a is alive with the animals, … Continued
Now that sugar is dead, the the Big Island’s Waipi`o Valley community wants water diverted by the sugar industry more than a decade ago returned to their streams, which serve as habitat for the endemic `o`opu (fish), `opae (shrimp), and … Continued
For the final project in the school year for the Hilo High School club Jr. Greenpeace, we decided to undertake one of the most rewarding activities: planting trees. So, once again, we all boarded a car heading along the winding … Continued
When the Center for Marine Conservation and the Turtle Island Restoration Network brought a lawsuit last February against the National Marine Fisheries Service, they were asking for an order requiring NMFS to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Hawai’i … Continued
Leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea) are the largest species of sea turtles. Adults may weigh up to 1,600 pounds and attain a length of six feet. They can dive as deep as 3,300 feet. Their diet consists of jellyfish and related creatures. … Continued
Just how depleted are leatherback populations? And will the injunction imposed on the Hawai’i longline fleet by U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra help leatherbacks at all? The first question is easier to answer. Pamela Plotkin is generally regarded as … Continued
In its recently issued 1998 report on pelagic fisheries regulated by the Western Pacific council, NMFS lists the numbers of each species of sea turtle it estimates to have been hooked that calendar year. The loggerhead turtles, federally listed as … Continued
The language in the biological opinion that the National Marine Fisheries Service issued that sets terms on the Hawai`i longline fishery couldn’t be clearer. If the fishery is to continue to operate, observers must be on board enough boats in … Continued