The boundaries and regulations of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary could potentially expand several years from now, said the sanctuary’s regional director, Allen Tom, during a public scoping meeting last weekend in Lihu’e. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback
The boundaries and regulations of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary could potentially expand several years from now, said the sanctuary’s regional director, Allen Tom, during a public scoping meeting last weekend in Lihu’e.
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary held two meetings on island Saturday to seek public input for an updated management plan which the government entity has been required to complete every five years since its inception in the late-1990s, a news release states.
The sanctuary currently consists of some 1,400 square feet of ocean surrounding the islands where rules and regulations such as restricted fishing practices and limited sonar activity have never been enforced, according to members of the newly formed nonprofit Kohola Mana ‘Ohana. With the endangered humpback whale’s health condition rated as only “fair” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – largely due to entanglements and vessel collisions – establishing rules sooner rather than later is a necessity.
Reward programs for identifying and collecting derelict fishing nets, setting up boat speed limits and limiting acoustics which interfere with the whale’s ability to communicate are just a few of the propositions the organization, which aims to protect marine mammals, suggested last weekend.
With a growing population and resources “over-depleted,” implementations like this are a future possibility, Tom said. But he said he also understands the sentiment of “enough rules already.”
And so does community activist and chair of the Kaua’i Westside Watershed Council Rhoda Libre.
“How would you feel if someone came into your garden” restricting access, she said.
The people of Hawai’i “wanted it this way,” said sanctuary’s West Coast Media Coordinator Sarah Marquis regarding the current lack of regulations and limited area of protection on the North Shore.
In fact, when the sanctuary first evolved in 1997, the original proposed boundaries were to surround the entire island, however the Kaua’i county council “at the time scaled back” to only include an area from Ha’ena to Kilauea, Tom said.
But that isn’t enough protection, said most members of the community, after being split up into three groups of about 10 people each to express their concerns to representatives from the sanctuary.
On the other hand, restrictions are not going to solve the “big picture” problems, said one commercial fisherman. There are larger factors at play such as ships releasing oil into the ocean and discarded nets from countries like Japan which eventually find their way into Hawaiian waters.
Educating the community about the necessity of protecting the marine ecosystem should really be a priority, according to several residents. Even a visitor center established on island would help raise awareness about the critical need to protect all life in the ocean.
Regardless, if something isn’t done soon, the health of the humpback whale will further decline, say members of Kohola Mana ‘Ohana.
There are 14 other marine sanctuaries across the U.S. and “most” are “ecosystem-oriented,” unlike the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary which is species-specific, Marquis said. Encompassing other organisms from turtles to coral could also be a possibility after the management plan is completed in 2014.
Some 12,000 humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter. They are a federally protected species.
Public comments will be accepted until Oct. 16. Visit hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov for more information.
