LIHUE — By now, it is no secret that the Robinson family and a handful of Hawaii legislators have major plans for the “Forbidden Island” of Niihau. A slew of bills have been introduced this legislative session related to the
LIHUE — By now, it is no secret that the Robinson family and a handful of Hawaii legislators have major plans for the “Forbidden Island” of Niihau.
A slew of bills have been introduced this legislative session related to the island — proposals from establishing no-fishing zones and regulating the harvesting of opihi in nearshore coastal waters to making the privately owned piece of land a new, independent county from Kauai.
On Friday, Kauai community members came out in force at Wilcox Elementary School to make it clear that they feel they’re being left out of the discussions.
“This whole bill thing for Niihau just absolutely stinks,” said Don Moses, a 40-year Kauai fisherman.
The crowd of more than 100 was united in its stance.
“They are being rushed through without hearings, which seems very unfair,” Puanani Rogers added of the bills. “What is the rush? Is it because the Robinsons have an ulterior motive?”
Dan Ahuna, the Kauai and Niihau trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, said he organized the “listening session” to make sure all Hawaiian beneficiaries are being heard on the matter.
“Two days ago, in one of our OHA Board of Trustee meetings, a procedural vote came up and I was put in a situation to support a vote to write a letter to the governor and support this bill for (banning fishing) three miles out,” he said. “But it is important for me to be here to listen to you and your comments.”
While he feels he has been put in an “unfortunate situation,” Ahuna said he wants to move forward with open dialogue.
In attendance Friday was Rep. Faye Hanohano, who introduced the House version of a bill that would have established a two-mile no-fishing zone around the island. That bill was ultimately deferred and Hanohano has since introduced a short form bill, SB 709, that would make appropriations to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to conduct public outreach meetings to adopt rules for statewide coastal management.
“The problem is not only on Kauai and Niihau,” she said.
Rep. Dee Morikawa, who was also in attendance, said Hanohano’s bill is a compromise.
“Her bill is what brings everybody to the table,” she said. “So that’s what we want you to know. It’s not getting shoved down your throat. If we can get her bill passed, we can get everybody on the table to figure out what we’re going to do about this.”
More than a dozen people took the opportunity to voice their feelings. One resounding message was that Kauai and Niihau are one and should not be separated — neither as counties nor fishing areas.
Westside fisherman Greg Holtzman described the two islands as “brother and sister,” and a relationship the state clearly doesn’t understand.
Before any decisions are made in regard to Niihau, Rogers said there needs to be many more community discussions.
“In my eyes, Niihau and Kauai are not separated,” she said. “We are one. We share the same ocean, we share the resources, we share ohana.”
The concerns voiced during the meeting varied greatly. Some said the bills are nothing more than the Robinson family trying to further privatize their already private island. Others said they are worried that the Niihau people are having their voices suppressed.
As for bringing everyone to the table, many questioned why the Robinsons didn’t attend the meeting. Shane Cobb Adams, however, said it’s not the Robinsons that should be included, but the people of Niihau.
“The people on Niihau have rights, and nobody’s asking them what they want,” he said.
If passed, SB 172 would make the island of Niihau a separate county under the control of the DLNR.
Mel Wills, operations manager at Holoholo Charters, said his concerns with the recent proposals vary greatly. One concern is that the DLNR, which issues his company boating permits, has been unable to enforce the law when it comes to illegal boaters.
While against fishing bans and the separation of counties, many in the audience seemed to be on board for Hanohano’s bill to appropriate money to the DLNR to study the issue.
Moses said it is time for fishermen and other interested parties on Kauai to organize and fight together so that the end result is a win-win for everyone, not just the Robinson family.
“We have to be one voice, one group that represents a lot of people that vote because that’s the only people they listen to,” he said of legislators.
Last to share his thoughts was Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., who expressed his disappointment with the flurry of bills, particularly the last-minute one to separate Niihau from Kauai.
“What’s up with that?” he asked. “We are the county of Kauai and Niihau, Niihau and Kauai.”
Carvalho added that fishing is everyone’s right and that Friday’s discussion was overdue.
“We got to be able to talk,” he said.
