December 15, 2016 — LIHUE, Hawaii — The first round of several meetings addressing options for management of the newly expanded Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument came to Kauai Tuesday night.
Joshua DeMello, fisheries analyst with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, explained the process to a scant audience at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.
“We’re also looking at options for Native Hawaiian subsistence fishing,” DeMello said.
September 26, 2016 — LIHUE, Hawaii — Right now, anyone can throw a cage into the open ocean within the Economic Enterprise Zone and begin an aquaculture operation, said Joshua DeMello, of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.
But with “gray area rules” on things like permits, species and reporting requirements, large-scale companies are hesitant to take advantage of the open ocean just yet.
“No one is doing that,” DeMello said. “We’ve gotten calls in the past about folks that are interested, but a lot of them are waiting to see what type of management plan comes out.”
The beginning of that aquaculture management program for the Pacific Islands Region is in the works, under the eye of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service and in conjunction with Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.
The entities are preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) analyzing the possible environmental impacts of the proposed management program and alternatives.
“The purpose of it is to develop a management program to support sustainable, economically sound aquaculture in the Pacific Island Region,” DeMello said.
The PEIS process looks at options for permit duration, whether cages should be metal or net pens, and allowable species.
“The push is to have something in place so if someone does come in and do (large-scale aquaculture), there would be rules set up to ensure the wild stocks and environment are protected, and the rights of other fishermen and ocean users are preserved,” DeMello said.
August 15, 2016 — LIHUE, Hawaii — The potential expansion of Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument was the main concern at Wednesday evening’s Kauai Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees meeting.
Puanani Rogers, from Kealia, said when it comes to the potential marine monument expansion, she thinks there’s too much misinformation floating around in the community.
“This is the worst thing, it’s dividing the community, family against family and friend against friend,” Rogers said.
Because of that, she said she has reservations against supporting the expansion proposal, which is being evaluated by the federal Council for Environmental Equality, according to OHA chief executive officer, Kamana‘opono Crabbe.
Rogers said she’s also concerned that the military is exempt from the rules of the monument.
The proposal calls for the expansion of the monument on all sides except the southeast boundary, avoiding the islands of Kauai and Ni’ihau as well the Middle Banks fishing area.
If President Barack Obama approves it, the proposal would establish the largest protected marine area in the world.
The bid for Native Hawaiian sovereignty and OHA’s work with the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security were also part of the talks during the meeting at Wilcox Elementary School attended by about 70 people.
August 8, 2016 — LIHUE, H.I. — One concern with the potential expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is the possibility of interference with military operations.
At a recent Lihue community meeting where the Obama Administration was gathering comments on the expansion from Kauai residents, Keith Robinson voiced his concerns.
“I’m against the expansion of the reserve because I don’t want environmentalists to have an excuse to cripple Navy operations,” Robinson said in the meeting. “The Navy has never caused any environmental problems.”
Robinson, who owns the island of Ni’ihau with his brother Bruce, also operates a private botanical garden on Kauai.
Robert Purdy, spokesman for Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility, said the facility is still evaluating the potential expansion.
“The remarks are those of interested parties who were voicing their personal opinions and/or views at a public meeting, and though PMRF will not speculate on their comments, we welcome the feedback of concerned individuals and encourage public engagement while we work with the local community on this issue,” Purdy said.
He continued: “The subject of expansion is currently being discussed at various government and community levels, and speculating on the subject or its impact on current or future PMRF and/or military operations would also be inappropriate at this time.”
In his Tuesday public comments at the Kauai Community College forum, however, Robinson offered a glimpse of insight into further reasons for his concern about the military’s activities.
“My family was informed by the U.S. military very secretly about the coming attack on Pearl Harbor eight years before it happened. We tried to prepare very secretly,” Robinson said. “History seems to be repeating itself now and Russia and China are becoming quite aggressive in the Western Pacific.”