Can a private entity’s petition to designate state lands as Important Agricultural Lands advance without the state’s permission? That question and many others arose last month, when the Land Use Commission met to consider a petition to designate 12,123 acres … 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
The 189th meeting of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council convened last month, amid a spate of unfavorable publicity, much of which dealt with the council’s lack of transparency. On the day before the full council meeting, the council’s Executive and … Continued
For years, the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council has sought to obtain permission from the federal government to authorize the killing of green sea turtles (honu, in Hawaiian) for cultural purposes. The turtles around the Hawaiian archipelago are classified as a Distinct Population … Continued
‘Aina Le‘a, Inc., owner of more than 1,000 acres of land near the Big Island town of Waikoloa, has effectively lost a foreclosure lawsuit that was brought against it by the creditor whose loan allowed the company to climb out … 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
By Patricia Tummons Kahana Bay, about seven miles north of Lahaina on Maui’s west side, has seen substantial erosion in recent years, exacerbated by a series of shoreline protection structures installed over the last few decades. Now, a group that … Continued
By Patricia Tummons Since its passage in 1976, the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) has governed fishing in the federal waters of the United States. This is the law that established the governing framework of eight regional councils that are to recommend … Continued
By Patricia Tummons In comments on proposed changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council has objected to a provision that would have at least one council member be free of any financial ties to fishing interests … Continued
By Patricia Tummons For years, the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council has doled out millions of dollars to U.S.-flagged island territories from the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund. But the way in which the funds have been distributed has always … Continued