Saving Seafood

NOAA: Drone technology aids whale research off Hawaii

July 29, 2016 — HONOLULU — Federal researchers returning from a 30-day expedition to study whales and dolphins around the Hawaiian Islands said Thursday they are looking for clues to help sustain healthy populations of the marine mammals.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists told reporters that gathering data on the animals is often difficult, especially around the windward coasts of the Hawaiian Islands.

The researchers worked from a large ship, instead of using their normally small survey boats, and explored the coasts of the main Hawaiian Islands where wind conditions and severe weather make it difficult to navigate and remain at sea for extended periods of time.

The team also used a hexacopter drone to photograph the whales and dolphins, something they have never done before in this region.

Using drones allows researchers to get better images of groups of whales because they are not disturbed by the approaching boat, said NOAA’s Erin Oleson, who led the expedition.

The vantage point of the drone also allowed them to more accurately count the number of individuals in a pod, including mothers and calves that sometimes stay underwater. The number of calves helps researchers gauge the whale’s reproductive health. The perspective also allows the scientists to get more accurate size estimates for individual whales.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Daily News

‘That Ocean Belongs To Us,’ Former Governor Tells Feds

July 27, 2016 — Former Gov. George Ariyoshi said Tuesday that he doesn’t want “somebody from the outside” dictating how Hawaii residents can use the waters around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

A few dozen opponents of the proposed fourfold expansion of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument stood behind him in the Capitol Rotunda, holding signs saying “Not so fast” and “Protect our local food source.”

“That ocean belongs to us,” Ariyoshi said.

Former U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka followed suit, saying the public needs to know more about the proposal before President Barack Obama considers using his executive authority under the Antiquities Act to expand the monument.

“It’s unconscionable for us to enact a new policy of expanding Papahanaumokuakea without proper transparency,” Akaka said. “What does it do to the people of Hawaii?”

Supporters — a few of whom were at the rally to try to counter the opposition — want the president to expand the monument in September when Hawaii hosts the world’s largest conservation conference. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress is set to meet in Honolulu Sept. 1-10.

While no public hearings are required, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are planning to hold two public meetings next week, one on Oahu and the other on Kauai.

Opponents say that’s not good enough. Hawaii Longline Association President Sean Martin said the feds should have a more robust public process to vet the proposal, one in which comments are tabulated and and submitted. 

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

SENATOR DANIEL AKAKA, GOVERNOR GEORGE ARIYOSHI, GOVERNOR BENJAMIN CAYETANO: OHA’s Power Grab will harm State’s ability to continue trust responsibility to Native Hawaiians

July 27, 2016 — The following is an excerpt from a letter to President Barack Obama published in the Hawai’i Free Press:

We oppose the proposed expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM).Native Hawaiian rights and Hawaii State rights have not been considered and there is no transparency in this process. No economic impact study was taken to determine the impact of this proposed expansion.Hawai’i is the only State in the union comprised of small islands surrounded by the ocean and remotely located thousands of miles from any other land mass. We depend on the ocean for food, livelihood,recreation, and the perpetuity of traditional native Hawaiian cultural practices.

Hawaii is the only State that met the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Target 11 to protect 10 percent of coastal and marine areas by 2020. Nearly 23 percent of the waters surrounding Hawai’i are in no-take reserves even though scientists recommend protecting 20 percent of the waters to maintain healthy oceans.

Your office is considering using the Antiquities Act of 1906 to extend the protection of the waters and submerged lands from 50 to 200 miles offshore of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands – we oppose that.That is a 350 percent expansion of the PMNM from 140,000 square miles to 583,000 square miles. The proposed monument area is equal in size to the landmass of all of the West Coast States (Washington,Oregon and California) and Texas combined.

The proposed expansion would include the entire U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (i.e., 53 percent of the EEZ around the State of Hawai’i). The expansion would prohibit the State of Hawai’i from using the living and non-living resources within the U.S. EEZ as provided for in the United Nation’s Convention on the Law of the Sea, Proclamation 5030 on the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States, and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

See the full letter at the Hawai’i Free Press

HAWAII: Retired politicians to hold news conference regarding monument expansion

July 26, 2016 — Former Gov. George Ariyoshi, ex-U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and others will hold a news conference Tuesday to speak out against the proposed expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

The news conference will take place at 10 a.m. at the Capitol Rotunda. They will share their letter to President Barack Obama, which former Gov. Ben Cayetano also signed, opposing the expansion.

On July 15, fishermen, fishing supply vendors, some of Hawaii’s top chefs and others attended a rally in opposition to the proposed expansion of the monument.

Read the full story at Pacific Business News

Papahanaumokuakea: Hawaii Fishermen get no response from Obama, Schatz

July 22, 2016 — HONOLULU — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, has yet to respond to a June 20th request to meet with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on his proposal to expand the size of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument fourfold.

Also unanswered are letters sent by the council to President Obama on April 8 and July 14, 2016, with concerns about the impact to Hawaii’s fisheries of the proposals by Schatz and by seven Native Hawaiians in January 2016 that the president expand the monument using his authority under the Antiquities Act.

Council Chair Edwin Ebisui Jr., Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds and Vice Chairs McGrew Rice, William Sword, John Gourley and Michael Duenas reminded the Senator that the Council has federal jurisdiction over the waters within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands beyond the current monument boundaries under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976.

“We are dismayed that you did not consult with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council prior to distribution of your letters, which have proliferated unsubstantiated statements through the media,” the council wrote to Schaltz.

“As you yourself note, the Hawaii longline fishery uses ‘responsible and sustainable practices and has resulted in Honolulu’s recognition as one of the nation’s ten most productive fishing ports,’” the letter continued.

“This fishery is not simply about economics, it is also about the sustainability of the State of Hawaii through local food security (see the State of Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan, the Governor’s Aloha + Challenge, and the Hōkule’a Worldwide Voyage Promise to Paeaina)…. It is essential that you meet with us so that the discussion on your proposal is grounded in truth and science.”

According to his website, Schatz was in Hawaii on July 17, before heading to Asia. While in Hawaii, he met with PACOM commander Adm. Harry Harris, toured the USS America, observed the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, and met with sailors.

Read the full story from Western Pacific Regional Fishery Managment Council at the Hawai’i Free Press

Hawaii’s Longline Fishermen Hit Bigeye Tuna Limit Early

July 21, 2016 — For the second year in a row, Hawai‘i longline fishermen are on course to hit their annual limit for bigeye tuna. And again, it’s much earlier than expected. The island’s longline fleet will close in Western and Central pacific waters this Friday, and larger vessels in the Eastern region will also be halted a few days later. HPR’s Molly Solomon has more.

Starting Friday, the productive fishing grounds west of the Hawaiian Islands will be off limits for Hawai‘i’s longline fishing fleet. That’s more than three weeks earlier than fishery officials had predicted.

Sean Martin is president of the Hawai‘i Longline Association. They represent the 140 vessels that will be affected by the closure.

“Having less area to explore and trying to find an area of productive fishing becomes more complicated because a large swath of the ocean is no longer available,” said Martin.

Read and listen to the full story at Hawaii Public Radio

HAWAII: Papahānaumokuākea Expansion Public Meetings

July 20, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

Please join the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for a public meeting to discuss the proposed expansion of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

On June 16, 2016, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz submitted a proposal to President Obama, requesting consideration of expanding the current boundaries of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument – drawing attention again to the rich cultural and scientific resources of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI).

As the Administration evaluates the proposal, we are seeking input from all interested parties to ensure that any expansion of the Monument protects the unique features of the NWHI for future generations while recognizing the importance of sustainable ocean-based economies. Please join us at our listening session to share your comments, concerns, and visions regarding the proposed expansion.

Oahu:
Monday, August 1, 2016
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Filipino Community Center
94-428 Mokuola Street, Suite 302
Waipahu, HI 96797		 Kauai:
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Kauai Community College
Performing Arts Center
3-1901 Kaumualii Hwy
Lihue, HI 96766

Written comments will be accepted in person during the public meetings and may also be submitted, in person, August 1 and 2 at the following locations during normal business hours:

Oʻahu
Honolulu Services Center
Pier 38, Honolulu Harbor
1139 N. Nimitz Hwy, Suite 220
Honolulu, HI 96817		 Maui
Sanctuary Visitor Center
726 South Kihei Road
Kihei, HI 96753		 Hawaiʻi
Mokupāpapa Discovery Center
76 Kamehameha Ave
Hilo, HI 96720

We hope you are able to join us and ask that you RSVP at your earliest convenience by clicking HERE. This meeting is open to the public, so please feel free to share this invitation with anyone you think would be interested.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Read the release at the Papahanaumokuakea website

Navy sonar that harms whales and dolphins was improperly approved, US court finds

July 19, 2016 — The US Navy is now using a particular type of sonar in more than half of the world’s oceans under an illegal permit. That sonar harms marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, and walruses. On Friday, the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in California found that a 2012 regulation that allowed the Navy to use a low-frequency active sonar for training and testing violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

“The court found that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which gave the authorization, isn’t doing enough to avoid harming or killing marine mammals under the law. The Marine Mammal Protection Act calls for the “least practicable adverse impact” on marine mammals and their habitats. The court also found that the federal agency failed to protect areas of the world that its own government experts had flagged as “biologically important” to protect marine life. Such areas include the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off of Hawaii, and Challenger Bank off of Bermuda.

The Navy had been authorized to use the high-intensity long-range sonar — called low-frequency active sonar, or LFA — for five years across more than 70 percent of the world’s oceans, in areas of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. The NMFS has to set certain limits to activities, like military training, that could harm marine mammals. The goal is to reduce the impact on marine life to its lowest possible level.

Read the full story at The Verge

Former Hawaii Governor, Chefs Protest Marine Monument Expansion

July 18, 2016 — Set against a backdrop of commercial fishing boats at Pier 38 in Honolulu, former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi told a crowd of roughly 200 people Friday that they need to work together to stop the proposed expansion of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

“We should not let the federal government come in and tell us what to do with our ocean,” the 90-year-old Ariyoshi said, receiving a round of applause.

It was the biggest rally to date against expanding the monument around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Some waved signs saying “Fishing Means Food” and “MVP Most Valuable Poke.”

Top chefs like Nico Chaize and George Mavrothalassitis were on hand, along with longline fishermen who object to a further encroachment on their fishing grounds.

Chaize told the crowd that the expansion would lead to higher poke prices and greater reliance on imported frozen fish.

The longliners primarily go after bigeye tuna, a highly valued species targeted for sashimi markets. They catch on average 8 percent of their annual haul of tuna from the area within the boundaries of the proposed expansion.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

Group protests expanded protection of Papahanaumokuakea

July 18, 2016 — Congress wants to protect Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument even more.

But not everyone’s happy about it.

A group of fishermen, chefs and community leaders held a rally Friday against the proposed expansion, which would make the 200 miles around the Northwestern Hawaiian Island chain off-limits to fishermen.

The group says this would be detrimental to their way of life.

“Our purpose of this today is to send a message to our congregation in Washington and to our island-born president: hands off. Keep hands off. Keep us on the water and let us do what we do best,” said Jim Cook, Pop Fishing and Marine vice president.

Read the full story at KHON 2