Sanctuary Designation - Hilo Comments

Scoping Meeting Comments
Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Monday, April 15, 2002 6:00 p.m.

Please note that these are the raw comments extracted from the scoping meeting held at the location listed above. They were edited for the purpose of clarity where necessary. Duplicate comments were not repeated. A synthesis of comments will be available soon.

(MHI) Main Hawaiian Islands
(NWHI) Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
(WPRFMC, WESPAC) Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council

• Storage or disposal of radioactive and toxic waste should not be in NWHI, should not be processed in the NWHI (like what's happening in Johnston Atoll)
• Fishing shouldn't get shut down if we aren't harming the resources and environment
• Need more police enforcement; make sure nothing is being dumped (marine debris control, i.e. nets); need a checks and balances system; what goes in, needs to come out; need some sort of tracking system on nets (should have some signature on them so people know who's stuff it is)
• Should be no fishing because it is supposed to be a marine sanctuary; wont be the same in 20 years if you allow fishing
• Concerned about Midway not being included in the Sanctuary
• If fishing allowed, should be extremely regulated; if commercial ventures are allowed, needs to be a thoughtful plan on what the impacts will have on the Sanctuary
• Highest level of protection should be provided; would hope that NOAA will provide the best (highest level) of protection; wants everything (whole ecosystem including cultural sites and artifacts too) to be protected; is NOAA the proper agency to do that?; needs more consideration of who's doing the managing
• Preservation of the Sanctuary is important; integrated, connected approach instead of piecemeal approach; example 1: water quality, reef, fish, all wildlife dependent upon reef, coastal environment, cultural sites; example 2: fishing, cultural, scientific, historical and coastal; in order to achieve, continue research, scientific studies and other case studies building upon others knowledgeable; education of public, outreach for follow-up and planning process; implementation through enforcement of regulations that are decided; continued funding
• Concerned that the Sanctuary will only exist on paper because who actually is going to go there and who's going to do the enforcement? Be realistic about the goals (i.e. regulations) of the area
• Major impact is marine debris NWHI is the perfect filter; need more concerted effort (such as stronger internationally) on preventing dumping plastics, nets, cargo lining; attack the source of dumping or cause of marine debris
• Enforcement of regulations; use satellites and technology for bettering enforcement
• No storage of nuclear, radioactive waste in this area
• Concerned that Wespac is listing more species of fish to the current list of bottomfish and they shouldnt
• One of the last coral reefs and we should be caretakers of this place
• NOAA may need help in managing the Sanctuary; any decisions or regulations should be based on true science
• No nets being used on fisheries up in the NWHI; people need to be educated about this fact
• Just spent 2 years in meetings with NOAA so concerned that the decisions made cant be destroyed by a small group; ex. what happened with Pupukea MLCD
• Please create an entity that is monitoring what NOAA is doing
• Concerned that ends/outcomes don't get lost in the process
• Need to ensure enough money to deal with all the issues already up there e.g. shipwrecks
• Do not want restrictions on my ability to access the area to fish and dive recreationally
• Recreational users need to be educated on their uses e.g. net removal, etc.
• Commercial users need to be managed to not take all
• Want to be able to continue to fish fishing for past 20 years
• Continued access to supply fish to Hawai`i's people sustainable fisheries
• Bottomfishers limited already want them to be able to continue
• Concern that the Sanctuary is a sacred place no one should be allowed access
• All waters from shoreline out to at least 12 miles (or more) included
• Balance between uses and conservation; some access should be allowed although limited (fishing, diving, etc.)
• Need baseline research tie the research and management together
• Place is large need to keep open but maintain at sustainable levels
• Utilization of resources can co-exist within a Sanctuary setting
• Decisions for utilization take, recreation, etc. based on science
• Maintain resources but allow access to the area to save the oceans need to appreciate them by seeing them
• Err on the side of caution but the area is large enough to continue to fish
• Opportunity for all federal and state agencies to work together as adults
• Wildlife in the area needs protection
• Next generation needs to know about this special place; take school groups by vessel to learn about the area
• Great area as a model to strive for such as marine life compared to the MHI; it is a good vision to have of what was here
• Concerned about how the fishing boats are monitored that go up there make sure the fishermen are educated about wildlife, alien species, etc.
• Need a buffer zone coral reef areas should have no fishing/diving with a zone outside to enforce
• This is an opportunity to educate people about marine resources, as an example of future protection efforts
• Concerned that this process will open the area up for use loved to death
• Regulation and enforcement needed to maintain presence if we open it up so we can learn from it and keep it protected
• Need smaller areas zoned for different uses
• Balance between sustaining use and conservation; making a living by fishing and protecting uses
• Have seen how the fish population has been decreasing in a short time; easy to wipe out stocks
• Do not rotate protection by opening and closing it each year
• Need strong cultural component; people should still be able to access the resources to learn
• Open area for minority research on atolls for Pacific Islanders to learn ethnobiology
• Make sure there are enough resources to manage the area prioritize the special areas that need specific management based on sensitive species or habitat
• Global warming may wipe out these atolls could be covered quickly need to think about how global issues can impact this area
• Midway may not go into the Sanctuary; this is not a good idea consider in decision as it has the highest concentration of boobies
• Don't want the military to get Midway need to keep it protected due to impacts form military activities
• Manage each island marine ecosystem as a unique area as all are different
• Don't want to allow lots of tourism up there ex. large dive groups with major impacts, jet skis
• Want people to know about the area be educated before they go there and set up educated access
• Need access limited based on science based data and use guidelines for the area
• Rotate areas and uses one open and others closed for educational uses
• Need to maintain a council of users to keep everyone informed and to keep input and interest from each group involved
• Need to set up education (an orientation) prior to use of the area no orientation, no access, especially for divers
• Limited numbers in groups is important
• No cruise liners due to numbers of people and the ships impacts; also cruise ships can bring in alien species
• Really hard to control the number of people on a cruise ship garbage, actions, wastes, cigarette butts, etc.
• Some mechanism in place to prevent rat introductions rats can eat native wildlife and already spent millions of dollars to eradicate them from the islands
• Islands are so far away takes days to get up there the location alone has kept them pristine only larger vessels can afford to go there
• Should be networking between all agencies to manage the area effectively
• Strong concerns that if it becomes federally controlled the State interests will be minimized
• Concerned that there are enough resources to ensure regulation how are they going to regulate the area? Military regulation will not work
• If the area draws lots of interest more people will want to go there was and is pristine
• Concerned that the access to Midway and elsewhere is carefully managed; concerned about nets and birds
• Want access to Midway reopened to tourist but carefully managed as it was prior
• Its up to present researchers to teach upcoming and future generations about this special place
• Five generations from now access will become easier to the area whatever is put in place now needs to be strict now to account for future technologies
• Be cautious to begin with and open areas only after the future is considered
• Research and resource utilization will increase in the next 5 years needs to be done in a rational manner
• Need to bring in ecosystem management and not manage by a single species approach
• There should be marine protected areas set aside as no take in the Sanctuary based on science
• On a state and university level this Sanctuary represents a great opportunity for jobs research, educational tours, interpreters, park rangers
• Want to ensure coral harvesting all types; are completely outlawed in the Sanctuary
• Concerned about the protection of sacred sites
• Resources are connected to MHI need education in schools, industry, public at large what we do in the MHI affects the NWHI region
• Future generations what we do now will affect them a healthy environment for them to live; resources should remain like they are now
• Reef habitat most in MHI is dead; everything starts with the reef no coral reef means no marine life; protection as a Sanctuary can help
• Cultural and archaeological sites need to be managed by OHA or other Hawaiian agencies to be protected
• Fishing exploitation and mining exploration should not be allowed within the Sanctuary; no commercial interests should be allowed
• Public needs to be educated on why the Sanctuary is important over and above the Reserve
• Who NOAA consults with should balance different user views (such as different Hawaiian groups)
• Find the favorable view form groups (i.e. Hawaiian groups) rather than balancing out disagreement
• The threat from alien marine species in the NWHI will happen there poses a threat to the reef; strong effort needs to be made to keep alien marine species out
• Hazardous waste left behind needs to be cleaned up if any is left behind
• Coral reef monitoring system status of reefs should be monitored; let the public know what monitoring is taking place and the results of the effort
• Careful monitoring for introduction of alien species before it happens; need to be cleaned (boats, nets, etc)
• NOAA should provide information on how well other sanctuaries are doing provide research documentation that a sanctuary can help coral reefs Market analysis of coral reefs
• No hazardous dumping in the Sanctuary ever
• Council should have a racial definition for several slots; the future generation is not properly accounted for; there is only one commercial spot on the council accounts for 1/15 of the council not enough
• Surveys should continue they can spot trouble; baseline data now collected keep checking perhaps every 2 years, periodic; we might miss global warming
• Citizens conservation corps are needed to educate; train to accomplish preservation and conservation on site
• Research basis for good management; Laysan is a junkyard clean it up; Midway gets cleaned; clean others and reefs
• The EO addressed fishing caps which is good
• Incidental catch is a concern and not addressed in the EO provisions are needed to reduce or eliminate;
• A prohibition of shark finning is needed
• Pristine and inhabited is an oxymoron no access should be allowed if you want it pristine
• The key to the Sanctuary process is coordinated management get a buy-in from the state to put the state waters to FWS (ex. Midway); buy-in so the whole NWHI is managed under a contiguous regime
• Education on ramifications if we don't take care; need a task force to patrol and protect
• High tech (motion sensors on all vessels for example) and low tech (education what it is and why protection is needed) are both needed; continue tagging ships (Coast Guard)
• Maintain area so it looks the same for future generations as today
• NWHI fishers who use the area should become involved with the World Wide Fund for Nature model themselves after the Marine Stewardship Accreditation which other fisheries have achieved
• Management by biologists, scientist; Coast Guard patrols to prevent taking; should be no taking
• Supports the EO; federal input, money, coordinated without tromping over other entities, expertise with Sanctuary are all good
• Commercial fishing should be banned to avoid fishing out; longliners, big ships, foreign vessels, local commercial fishermen can deplete
• Restricted commercial fishing should be allowed if sustainable and environmentally friendly; people who manage should be experts scientists and not politicians, lawyers or activists
• Satellite surveillance over to pinpoint land and sea; if someone brings stuff in, take out and surveillance would enforce by keeping clean and keep distance from critters; work with the Coast Guard
• Let experts (marine biologists and scientists) go in and clean up; the only way to truly protect is limited access; what's the use of having it pristine if no one enjoys
• Keep/cap consumption and interaction at current levels with rules and regulations were in good shape
• Ecotoursim should be limited to Midway don't screw up the rest
• Cap fishing permits at current levels intentional attrition
• Special permits should be given for scientific purposes
• Mobilize the message education, but also a real movement to get the word out; get more involved; more promotion, media, contact clubs, circles of influence; increase community outreach
• Pollution protection, especially from tourists; avoid a similar situation as Haunauma Bay
• Animal life needs to be free not confined
• Strike a balance allow sustainable environmentally friendly fishing so the resource is protected, yet usable any sustainable fishing balance pristine, but used to help feed the world
• Protect the NWHI watch out for further impacts (minimize); fishing is OK but with limitations; tourists should have limitations
• Concerned about: environmental degradation things are taken in, global impacts warming, alien species; better management can reduce local impact; use should be allowed, but with minimal impact; remediation needed
• Small fishers should be protected, but be allowed to continue to feed families and make a living
• More public accessibility is needed public transportation to NWHI
• Protect the reefs, especially from trash
• Develop ecotoursim, but in a conscientious manner; areas for fishing, areas for preservation, areas for ecotourism; people of Hawaii should have access and not be fenced out proper visitation under supervision
• Oil spill provisions are needed; seabird rehabilitation
• Commercial ventures require enforcement and rules fishing, tourism, any people ventures
• Retain present pristine state; educate; take young people up there; learning facility needed on MHI about the NWHI
• Protection needed from foreign and non-native species algae, amoebas, etc.; protect from trash and pollution needed
• Concern that there needs to be enough education because people cant go there need to bring the Sanctuary to them
• Foreign vessels enter our waters, harvest/profit
• Global warming, sea level rise not addressed by plan (current and future management plans); reserve should develop management plans that address possible impacts to preserve the area
• Like to see reserve as an example for management like a nursery
• Concerned about pesticide and other chemicals
• Concern about nuclear waste (dumped elsewhere)
• Concerned about enforcement and debris increase clean-up efforts
• More independent review of management plans committee members should not have vested interests
• Wants continuation of sustainably managed fisheries
• Concern that there is not enough education
• Concern that he cant hear other people at the hearing
• Fishing in the NWHI there is too much these fish need a chance to get to the MHI
• Sanctuary designation needs to address impacts on coral reefs from diving, ecotourism in order to prevent damage
• State and reserve waters concerned that state waters don't have enough regulations on fishing and coral harvesting
• Concern of harvesting ornamental fish in MHI these have been harvested; no more harvesting
• Concern that regulations of a sanctuary will eliminate existing bottomfish fisheries then the fisheries will come to the MHI
• Concerned about monopoly of organized recreational access
• Be protected enough to be habitat for species driven north in the event of global warming a sanctuary
• Concerned that opening area to more people will increase chances of damage through shipwrecks and general use
• Keep it restricted to access
• Give public a better opportunity to address issues concerned that the ROP is unclear
• Concern of fishery management in the NWHI that it will be overfished in the same way as the MHI
• Concerned that underfunding of Coast Guard will prevent it from enforcing regulations in NHWI
• Would like to see international cooperation for prevention of marine debris
• There needs to be adequate resources to manage the NWHI
• Concerned about marine debris and its impact on wildlife/environment it is a primary impact
• Concern that there is not enough enforcement of foreign vessels in the NWHI
• Concerned that international fisheries are overfishing our waters in the NWHI
• Sanctuary should address larger global issues because micro-management of just the sanctuary will be impacted by these large issues
• Sanctuary plan must take sea-level rise into consideration
• Concerned about genetic engineering and introduction of these fish via fish farms and aquaculture
• Like to see monitoring for radioactive materials and other chemical pollution in NWHI
• Concerned that marine debris kills the ecosystem
• If fishing is closed, convert the fishermen into debris clean-up
• Need to see coordination of federal and state agencies
• Fishermen don't have an equal voice in the process
• Need to articulate the difference between the Sanctuary and the Reserve
• Preserve reefs net and debris is a problem
• Ensure that there is enough food for the monk seals
• Concerned about differing levels of protection for corals under state vs. federal jurisdiction
• Encourage state to include its waters in the Sanctuary
• Concerned that limited access by individual recreational visitors (or prohibited) want access
• Concerned about overfishing may deplete stocks and not able to recover; NWHI should be a source for fishery replenishment
• Concerned about public access for tourism and recreation; separate access should exist for cultural and recreational purposes
• Something must be done to stop North Pacific debris from impacting the Sanctuary
• Concerned about who will regulate money delegated to Sanctuary and that it goes into managing the Sanctuary

For more information contact the Reserve office at:

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve
Sean Corson, Sanctuary Designation Coordinator
6700 Kalanianaole Hwy, #215
Honolulu, HI 96825
(808)397-2668
sean.corson@noaa.gov