The Hawaiʻi-based longline fishing fleet has chafed for years under a management plan that limits the number of animals belonging to the Hawaiʻi pelagic population of false killer whales that the fleet can seriously injure or kill in the normal … Continued
Forefeiture: Six acres of Kona land acquired by disgraced former Hawaiʻi County housing staffer Alan Rudo and his three associates through the use of affordable housing credits acquired by deceit are now being offered for sale. The asking price is … Continued
Rising seas. Increasing disease threats. Accumulated chemical pollutants in top predators. All this spells trouble for marine mammals in Hawaiian waters, especially two of the most endangered species: monk seals and the insular population of false killer whales. At recent … Continued
Despite years-long drought conditions for much of the island of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi County Planning Department defends its use of 2007 rainfall data as the “best available data.” This was acknowledged by Planning Director Zendo Kern as the county Board … Continued
FKW Trigger Lowered: The National Marine Fisheries Service has reduced the level of observer coverage in the deep-set longline fishery of Hawaiʻi. And as the level of observer coverage is lowered, so, too, is the number of false killer whales … Continued
The Hawaiʻi County administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have agreed on a consent order that is intended to address the many serious operational issues at three of the county’s wastewater plants on the windward side of the Big Island. … Continued
Hawaiʻi County and its planning director, Zendo Kern, are being sued by a rabbi and the religious organization that employs him. The lawsuit alleges that the fines the county has imposed over the use of his Kona home for religious … Continued
To be “qualified” can be a good thing. But when it comes to audits, a qualified audit is one that has problems – like the financial audit of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council for 2022. The audit report was … Continued
After seven years of litigation, the state of Hawaiʻi has finally prevailed in the lawsuit brought by DW ʻAina Leʻa Deveopment, LLC – DW for short. The company, owner of about 1,000 acres of land in the Big Island district … Continued
Monk Seals on the Rise: The National Marine Fisheries Service has released a draft assessment of the populations of marine mammals in waters around Hawai`i, among other areas. The date of the publication is July 2023 and includes assessments of … Continued