Malama Kai Foundation - Stewardship Of The Sea

WHFC meeting tomorrow (Thursday, April 19) 6:30pm – 8:30pm at  HALE A’U KAHAKAI (Hawai’i Big Game Fishing Club).  Chad Wiggins is presiding.   Hope you can attend.

CONGRATULATIONS to the North Kohala community for their successful efforts in purchasing Kauhola Point.  This beautiful and important historic coastal area is now conserved in perpetuity!  Malama Kai Foundation is especially proud of the exemplary efforts of Elizabeth Pickett and Tom Loomis, Co-Directors of MKF’s Ocean Warriors Program, who worked diligently with Kauhola Point users and the community in bringing together all stakeholders under a shared vision.  Congratulations and Mahalo to all the Ocean Warriors kids who played a significant role and helped make this possible.  Go Ocean Warriors!!  Mahalo to everyone!

WEST HAWAI’I FISHERIES COUNCIL

POBox 489 Kailua Kona HI 96745

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE WEST HAWAI’I FISHERIES COUNCIL

To effectively manage fishery activities to ensure sustainability; enhance near shore resources; develop and implement management plans for minimizing resource depletion and conflicts of use; per legislative mandate to the Department of Land and Natural resources to provide for substantive involvement of the community in resource management decisions; and encourage scientific research and monitoring of the near shore resources and environment from Upolu Point to Ka Lae.

DRAFT AGENDA for Thursday, February 16, 2012, 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.

HALE A’U KAHAKAI (Hawai’i Big Game Fishing Club)

Presiding: 

Call to Order: 

Reminder of the meeting protocols from WHFC policies and Operational Guidelines and posted at all meetings.

Approval of Agenda

Roll Call

Reading and Interpretation of the WHFC Mission

Aloha: All visitors are asked to sign in and introduce themselves to the members of the Council, who are sitting at the tables.

Minutes:       Draft Minutes of January 19, 2012 APPROVAL

Committee Reports: All Committee Reports must be in writing and turned into the administrator for attachment to the minutes.

Traditional and Customary Rights:

A. The PUANA KA`IKE lecture will be on February 24, Friday at                                  5:30 PM at Keauhou beach Resort. The subject will be Mo`o                                   `Olelo – Mo’o Stories by Alohalani Brown.

B. The Kona Historical Society will provide a Chinese New Year                                   Celebration February 29 at 5:30 PM at the West Hawaii Civic                                   Center.

C. The Hawaiian Calendar has been distributed in January.

Committee of the Whole to track recommendations of the WHFC, the Council: Report on movement of submitted rule amendment with a bare bones timeline of WHRMFA rule is distributed under separate cover.

Enforcement, Teresa Nakama: The enforcement item for Strategic Planning should read: b) Update existing case laws that are not enforceable. Updated document emailed to WHFC.

Moorings, Doug Herkes:  Diacritical marks need to be added

Marine Reserves from Act 306, Tina Owens: Discussion on proposal for the KLMAC effort.

Legislative Affairs Committee, Rob Shallenberger:

SB2002: Coastal water Aquarium Fish; County regulation; delegates regulation of aquarium fish found in coastal waters to each county within a three-mile limit of each respective county.

HB2129 Aquatic Life; West Hawaii Regional Fisheries Management Area; authorizes DLNR to impose temporary management measures within the West Hawaii regional fisheries management area. Requires DLNR to establish a limited entry program for commercial aquarium fishers.

Aquaculture Committee, Sarver: Dale’s alternate is Karma Renee Kissinger

Membership, Glennon Gingo:

• Application from Malia Kipapa
• Application from Andrew Argyris
• Application: Tom Oiye

Community Fisheries Education and Outreach: 

• Reef Talk is asking for suggestions for programs.
• Tentative: Marine Technology and Marine Hospitality courses at HCC
• Request by Cindi Punihaole for help with ‘cowboy spear fishermen’ at Kahalu’u Beach before someone gets hurt. This is conflict resolution; does WHFC want to create a new committee for this; who would like to help Glennon work on this issue?

Adjourn: Please leave the premises by 9:00 PM so the clubhouse can be secured.

WHFC meetings are on the third Thursday, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Hawai`i Big Game Fishing Club. New calendar attached.

Contact Marni Herkes 987 2171 or marniherkes@gmail.com  or Glennon Gingo freediving@earthlink.net.

February 16 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM;  March 15 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:309 PM;  April 19 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM;  May 17 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM;  June 21 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM;  July 19 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM;  August 16 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM; September 20 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM; October 18 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM;  November 15 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM; December 13 Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

WEST HAWAI’I FISHERIES COUNCIL

POBox 396 Holualoa HI 96725

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE WEST HAWAI’I FISHERIES COUNCIL

To effectively manage fishery activities to ensure sustainability; enhance near shore resources; develop and implement management plans for minimizing resource depletion and conflicts of use; per legislative mandate to the Department of Land and Natural resources to provide for substantive involvement of the community in resource management decisions; and encourage scientific research and monitoring of the near shore resources and environment from Upolu Point to Ka Lae.

STRATEGIC PLANNING for the West Hawaii Fisheries Council

Each WHFC committee and the Council in general were asked to set goals for 2012; these priorities for 2012 have been voted on and approved by the full council at the WHFC January meeting.

Committees and the approved goals are:

Traditional and Cultural: No chair at the moment

• Seek out new chairperson
• Add new members to committee
• Build Outreach

Committee of the Whole: The Council – Glennon Gingo, Chair

• Track rule package, which was submitted in 2002 to DAR/DLNR.
• Push aggressively to get rule package out for community review.

Enforcement: Teresa Nakama

• Invite Prosecutors to be involved actively with communities.
• Update existing case laws that are not enforceable.
• Establish communications with BLNR and DOCARE – DAR – DOBOR
• Expert witnesses on scientific issues.
• DOCARE: Update personnel, manpower and equipment and implement night shift work.
• Conflict with monk seal’s critical habitat

Moorings: Doug Herkes

• Work with Malama Kai Foundation and DOCARE to ensure that all day use moorings are incorporated into Rule.
• Provide correct Hawaiian names for all moorings.
• Seek clarification of any potential liability associated with using moorings
• Establish load capacity ratings for each mooring and rules for usage.
• Keep track of any more moorings that might be proposed.

Fish Reserves from Act 306: Tina Owens

• Continue to work towards the realization of the proposal from the Ka’upulehu community.
• Continue to work with the residents of Puako to define their goals.
• Continue to work with the residents of Mauna Lani to define their goals.
• Develop a draft budget needed to advance these initiatives.
• Attempt to get funding from outside sources.
• Develop and implement a website for public access to information about the various developments that will be taking place in the future.
• Newspaper marine eco info, kids cartoons, photos, and articles.

Legislative Affairs: Rob Shallenberger

• Monitor legislation
• Keep in touch with legislators and the Hawaii County Council

Aquaculture: Dale Sarver

• Monitor Congressional/federal rules for aquaculture
• Monitor whale sanctuary and/or if it expands
• Remain aware of Hawaii aquaculture enterprises.

 Membership: Glennon Gingo

• Build membership with five new members that satisfy shortages within stakeholder groups/areas.
• Maintain semi-annual interview process.
• More representation of the fishing/boating community is desired.

Community Fisheries Education and Outreach: Marni Herkes

• Improve submittals to MKF website with monthly input.
• Get press releases into the press and social media regularly
• Search for interesting and educational presentations.

The Big Island Reef Fund (BIRF) has announced the winners for its 2012 Bag Tag Photo Competition.  Congratulation to the winners and a big Mahalo to all the photographers who participated.

Winning photos and photographers can be seen at: http://www.coral.org/WHVS_bag_tags

Each Bag Tag shows the beauty and wonder of Hawaii’s marine environment, creates awareness, and teaches how to care for our marine resources.   They are also an important fundraiser for BIRF.  So far, over 1,500 Bag Tags have been distributed raising over $4,000.

BIRF is a collaborative effort between Malama Kai Foundation and the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL).  Mahalo to Kara Osada-D’Avella, CORAL Field Representative, for her dedicated and energetic work in making this worthwhile effort happen!  Well done, Kara!

We have been asked by NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery group to spread the word about the untimely deaths of 4  seals in less than three months.  At least 3 of the deaths are believed to be intentional killings.  With a population of less than 1,200 seals and falling, Hawaiian monk seals are one of the world’s most endangered animals and the only endangered marine mammal found solely within the United States.  Even one seal death is too many!  If anyone has information that might help, please contact Rachael Sprauge @ 808.944.2240 or rachel.sprague@noaa.gov.  Here is a link to a Honolulu StarAdvertiser story:  http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/136694748.html

To learn more about Hawaiian monk seals and the effort to save this species go to: http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/prd_hms_index.html

MAHALO to all our donors who have made generous contributions this year.  Donations help us fulfill our mission to conserve Hawai‘i’s coastal and marine resources, and educate people about these resources.  There is still time to make a year-end, tax deductible donation to Malama Kai Foundation through PayPal on our website.

We are pleased to announce a $25,000 grant from the Omidyar ‘Ohana Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation in support of the Day-Use Mooring Program.  Mahalo to Pierre and Pamela Omidyar for their support in helping to protect coral reefs in Hawai‘i from anchor damage.

Hawai’i Wildlife Center is having a Grand Opening of  its beautiful new facility on the Island of Hawai’i.  Celebration is on Saturday, November 19 from 10:30am – 12:30pm.  Location is Lighthouse Road, Kapaau.  Congratulations!!