Fishermen, tour boaters unite to stand up for ocean freedom

By Paul C. Curtis - The Garden Island (article)

Federal officials already held a meeting on Kaua‘i to gather input regarding the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. But they said concerned local fishermen, tour-boat operators and others would be free to conduct one of their own if they wished.

That’s exactly what Greg Holzman and others gathered Friday at the Kaua‘i Community College cafeteria plan to do. They have scheduled a public meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the KCC cafeteria for those interested in learning more about the management-plan review process for the sanctuary.

Public comments are being accepted through Oct. 16 on the management-plan review process, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration release states. The proposal is detailed in the State of the Sanctuary Report Special Management Plan Review Edition, at hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/management/management_plan_review.html online.

Comments can be sent via mail, e-mail or fax.
Information on how to submit comments, links to related documents including the Sanctuary Condition Report, are also available on the sanctuary website, or can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-888-55-WHALE, ext. 267 (1-888-559-4253, ext. 267).

Holzman said in a telephone interview he understands coral reefs might be placed on the federal endangered-species list, which might have devastating impacts on ocean users. There may also be scientific evidence to support taking humpback whales, sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals off protected-species lists, he said.

For instance, some scientists believe the humpback-whale population in Hawai‘i has tripled from a time when only 4,000 of the critters remained and the species was placed on the ESL. In Alaska, where the whales spend summers, they eat so much food that other species are starving, he said.

Evidence also indicates the monk-seal population might have reached its maximum number, he said. Where sea turtles are concerned, their numbers are large and growing, but there will be no taking them off the list until state wildlife officials come up with a management plan for the species, per federal requirements, said Holzman, a commercial fisherman.

Kaua‘i Concerned Ocean Users are hosting the Tuesday informational meeting regarding proposed regulations for waters surrounding Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau. Several of them met Friday at KCC to put together the Tuesday meeting agenda.

Many people on Kaua‘i know of the NOAA sanctuary-review process which has proposals to expand the boundaries and include new species within the sanctuary’s protection.

 

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