Sanctuary Designation - Hilo Comments

Scoping Meeting Comments
Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Kahului, Hawai‘i
Thursday, April 11, 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

• Concerned about refuse coming from cruise ships and private vessels-effluent discharge lack of rules. Possible use of jet skis in NWHI- access from private vessels need to be regulated and regulations need to be enforced.
• Enforcement of the rules- Money not there to fund regulation. Concern of opening NWHI to public use and would like to see it closed.
• The NWHI should not be open to tourism because it will destroy the natural resources.
• Cultural access and gathering rights (not commercial) should be able to continue.
• Need for monitoring any uses within the NWHI and a process for cultural access- use a review board.
• Concern of duplication-need for Peer Review.
• Mandatory vessel monitoring system (electronic)
• Will protection of plants and animals now protected be enhanced or diminished if sanctuary designation takes place? Would like it maintained and enhanced.
• It is important that process is funded adequately.
• Public access and marine debris- the threat of human impact as it relates to endangered and endemic species.
• Laws must be enforced- adequate funding to do the job.
• Use research in the NWHI to benefit the coral reefs and marine life in the NWHI.
• Positive impact of designation- federal funding for protection of pristine marine resources.
• Federal funding for debris clean-up
• Concern that sanctuaries attract tourists- it should not be allowed.
• WESPAC (Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council) should not be allowed in any decision making process.
• State will siphon money away from sanctuaries conservation efforts and use it to commercially develop NWHI- (ex. Collecting precious coral, aquarium fish, fishing, mining, drilling and ecotourism.
• Concern if any pre-existing vested rights exist at NWHI- Would public abuse their access to their Sanctuary? There should be no standing population (land and water) at NWHI.
• We need to rediscover the importance of Mokumanamana and its relationship to Hawaiian spiritualism
• Concern that 3 miles from shore also be included in Sanctuary.
• Airspace above Sanctuary should be limited to benefit marine ecosystem.
• No military testing or use of airspace.
• Sanctuary should be self-sustaining-not reliant on politics- if ecotourism, muse not leave anything- should be highly regulated.
• Existing protection should be the floor. No tourism except for establishment on Midway.
• Media has opened the area to a public now interested in NWHI.
• Concern that if it doesn't become a Sanctuary- it will revert to the public.
• Enforcement should be strictly adhered to for any users-discharges.
• We can care for the NWHI by following these comments.
• Water pollution: Main Hawaiian Islands- algae, pools (source), rivers and run-off.
• Abuses happening in MHI do not happen in NWHI.
• Like to see NWHI stay like MHI used to be at one time.
• Preserve area- keep big time fishermen out of NWHI.
• Control development.
• Control longliners, big fishermen.
• Control shoreline fishing and tourist boats.
• Small time guys- control development.
• Clarify area, entry remains as it is for commercial fishing. Same fishing as now.
• Continue to provide fish for Hawai`i .
• Educate community on how we fish now. We are environmentally concerned.
• Education of what's happening in ongoing fisheries.
• Do not want to see cap on current fisheries. Do not put a cap on my last 5 years of effort.
• Do not limit my future by capping fishing.
• Do not to confuse bottom fisherman with other types of fishing like longliners, lobster fishermen, and big scale fishermen.
• Utilize Native Hawaiian permits that are now open and available.
• Education is key-public needs more information because there is word going around that some fishermen are going over the limits on their catches. Understands that there are lots of fishing and longlining actually go on in the NWHI.
• Who owns boats? What are the fines? There are lots of violations. Owners of vessels are politicians and violating the law and getting away with it.
• Regulate ecotourism with common sense. Use experience from MHI and elsewhere.
• Be sure regulations on the books can be enforced.
• Indigenous Hawaiians maintain access to places like Mokumanamana to continue and conduct cultural and religious practices whether or not they utilize them. Still an important part of genealogical practices. No permitting necessary.
• Concern that we really have a marine protected area up in NWHI.
• Increased pressure to open up more fishing in NWHI, as result of human population growth.
• State waters to 3 miles-lack of consequences between federal and state control and protection. 3 miles is the richest (fish and corals) areas.
• Wave of ecotourism is coming-people running programs may not be educated, will not enforce rules, wont change behavior of their clients.
• Land is chief-we are his servants.
• Preserve quality of the water tower. Whatever it takes. Provision to be made for Native Hawaiians feeding their families.
• Careful to maintain balance of ecosystem.
• Concerned the NWHI will be exploited.
• Scientists- limit scientific trips to NWHI. Restrict activity
• Existing activities: (Midway fish stock down) If goal of sanctuary is to preserve in perpetuity- then limit people, research and activity.
• If goal of the sanctuary is education, then open it up to others. More trips up there now like marine debris trips, increase the number of trips and the duration of trips.
• Difficult balance-in order to preserve, there must be no humans.
• National Marine Sanctuary will not be the savior here, based on his experience on the East Coast.
• Need more time to analyze the benefits of a National Marine Sanctuary.
• Don't want to see a moratorium on fishing.
• If current fishing has minimal impact, then want to see it allowed and fostered.
• At customary stewardship of resources has proven itself as a viable way of maintaining the integrity of the reef.
• Perhaps zones to be set up for different activities, breeding grounds, zones for varying uses.
• Ever since the president appropriated money, now every one wants to go to the NWHI. Federal money attracts more of everything, tourists and scientists.
• Control people with longlines.
• Control shoreline fishing.
• Control tourist boats because they bring alien `opala seaweeds.
• Control big shot people.
• Preserve the creatures of the NWHI.
• Keep limited entry for commercial fishing so fishermen can provide kaukau (food) for people.
• Educate people on how fishermen fish up there now.
• Educate people on existing (ongoing) fisheries that we do have.
• Don't want to see a cap on current fisheries.
• Don't label bottomfishermen with longlining and lobster fishermen and net dragging fishermen, etc.
• Worried about longliners and big scale fishermen.
• Don't cap current levels because weather, the size of his boat, and the fresh fish market already does. (Only 3 boats up there now.)
• Education is key- public needs to know what's going on up there.
• Need more enforcement because there are fishermen disobeying the rules and regulations that are in place.
• Heard of boat owners violating current regulations.
• For no zero tolerance fishing because it will eventually deplete the fisheries.
• Use common sense to regulate ecotourism using experiences from elsewhere.
• If there is fishing permitted up there, that there is enforcement.
• Hopes that regulations will be and are enforced.
• We need a marine protected area in the NWHI.
• Sanctuary process leads to more protection in the NWHI rather than less protection.
• Concerned about poaching in the NWHI-need gunboats to shoot down Taiwanese fishing boats.
• Function of sanctuary- should leave something for plants and animals to live in.
• Concerned that ecotourism will increase in the NWHI-ecotourism operators wont enforce the rules and regulations.
• No hazardous material transport in NWHI including military in sanctuary waters.
• Overfishing will affect seals.
• Need to maintain balance on planet.
• Scientists will have impact and should be limited.
• Don't want to see scientists overstudying in NWHI.
• Limiting scientific trips is a good thing.
• Research objectives need to have clear focus (objectives) because they have impacts too.
• Limit human activity all across the board if goal of sanctuary is to preserve the ecosystem.
• If the goal of the sanctuary is education- more people is going to want access to the area.
• People are making too many trips up there so there is a lot more interaction with the reefs and more and longer trips.
• Let mother nature take its course.
• National Marine Sanctuary is not going to be a savior for this place.
• Have current reserve operate a little longer before considering a National Marine Sanctuary.
• Concept seems too politically charged.
• We need more time to analyze the benefits of a National Marine Sanctuary.
• Its easy for people to violate laws.
• Sanctuary should look at the long term and plan ahead regarding ecotourism.
• Consider effective caps on ecotourism.
• Sanctuary should consider setting up zones for different types of activities.
• Sanctuary needs to be more holistic rather than specific when it comes to management.
• Federal funding attracted more people, scientists, attention- it has been pristine because it has been left alone
• Ability to fish is important irrespective of designations. Bottomfishing/Pelagic fishing
• Handline fishing is far off shore with no interaction with reef-should be permitted.
• Debris problems not caused by handline fishing.
• Restrictions argued due to damage caused by non-local fishermen-should find source of debris- consequences targeted accordingly-foreign enterprises, not local.
• Restrictions too confining and targeted to wrong fisherman.
• Find out where the nets are coming from. Make distinctions between different types of fishing and the impacts.
• All the rules and regulations are already in place-its working fine now. We don`t need a Sanctuary.
• Too many non-fishermen, who are not informed of the fishermen and how we fish.
• No one has considered the costs to those currently fishing and how it will impact them.
• Best thing to do is leave it alone-programs in place are adequate.
• Currently the decisions being made are very emotional and uninformed.
• If restrictions against fishing- also need to ban all commercial activity-ecotourists, etc.
• None of the marine life shown in video do we catch as bottom fishermen-not near the reef.
• Unnecessary expansion for the kind of fishing we do.
• Mammals up there already protected.
• Seems like the Sanctuary is mostly a way to increase research.
• Fishing will die through attention due to caps and not being allowed to issue new permits.
• Loss of Hawaiian product-loss of local fish.
• Keep limits on sizes of vessels working the area (approx. 60 feet) - no factory ships with lots of little vessels.
• Viable fishing should be compatible with sanctuary.
• What have you done 50 years ago in the main Hawaiian Islands to ensure fishery was sustained?
• Concept of conservation does not work in deep waters (below 40 feet) -closing an area doesn't mean deep water fish will return fish follow water temperatures and other factors.
• Closing areas in shallow waters where fish are dependent on reefs works better.
• Apply the restrictions where the greatest concerns are not (30 fathoms and less) deep waters where there is not a problem.
• Having a size limit is reasonable-consider permits for different sites.
• Rotate fishing sites because some areas have more fish than others.
• Discourage overfishing at sites.
• State and federal regulations before the reserve was adequate to protect the subject species: reef fish.
• No for-profit activities for individuals should be permitted if commercial fishermen are excluded. (commercial tour boats)
• Surveys, management, debris removal enforcement are OK for reserve.
• Too many tourists walk on reefs and damage the environment.
• Too many tourists, concerned about waste, human waste, food and paper products.
• Specific commercial fishing OK: bottom fishing, lobster fishing, catch per unit effort (CPUE) way of measuring fishery stocks is perhaps not the best way of measurement.
• Catch per unit effort is not an accurate measure of determining how healthy the stock is: weather.
• Example: data from casual or research fishermen is not vindication of the health of the fish stock.
• The notion of the depletion of stock should not be determined from snap shot statistics. A researcher or new fisherman that goes to a low fish area.
• Good measurements: (1) Average of measurements over a prolonged period. (2) Use current technology that measures fish quantity more accurately.
• Current data collection method is not convincing or accurate.
• Its too easy to get a commercial fish license. The number of novice fishermen screwed data.
• Media has a one sided view need to talk to people in the industry working the area not just the environmentalists.
• Education and communication needs to accurately portray the efforts of fishermen and how they work, as well as the science and environmental perception.
• Whole perception is not accurate.
• Incorporate the fishermen who have the experience in the research and education efforts.
• Under guise of conservation-businesses flourish and it becomes a major impact in and of itself.
• Inadvertent impacts from tourism may negatively change the behavior of the organisms.
• Allowing the activities would require observation and monitoring.
• If anything like tourism is allowed all impacts need to be carefully considered.
• Three miles out can mean different depths in different islands in the NWHI- it may still be very shallow.
• Talk to the people who work in the fishing industry not only the people who study the industry.
• Designate specific limited areas for: commercial fishing, tourism, scientific uses for preservation.
• Cannot allow commercial use of area.
• Give fish and lobster a chance to multiply.
• Retain current ecosystem balance.
• Extremely fragile- extraction, commercial, marine debris. Reserve natural state as much as possible.
• Midway- limited ecotourism. Monitor- limit people, use educational purposes.
• Sanctuary needs to be integrated and coordinated- different agencies need to work together.
• All users and potential users concerns should be heard.
• Use technology to take care of area: (1) Nets dolphins can get out of (2) Turtle exclusion devices to monitor well being of endangered marine life.
• Enforce regulations that we decide for all users. Many good laws, poor enforcement. Debris- big concern. Make laws stick.
• Executive Order 2000: (1) grandfathered fishers (caps) (2) current protection should be maintained (3) no point in having protection if not monitored
• State waters should be included in sanctuaries.
• Difficult to monitor- use electronic means to monitor entrants from all over.
• May need to establish a nursery.
• Discourage commercial use- despite good intentions, protect against human nature.
• Reestablish kapu (Hawaiian laws for resource management) for preservation.
• Prohibit military use- sonar, 200 mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), opposed to strip-mining.
• Spiritual and religious concerns: (1) Mokumanamana very important. (2) Kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiians) need to practice in these areas. (3) Fishing should be allowed for kanaka maoli - native gathering rights.
• Hawaiian people should advise and be consulted as part of sanctuary designation process. Be a part of decisions made about the future of the area (active with the Reserve Advisory Council).
• Planner should over estimate impacts of all uses: (1) Should be enough funding to back up decisions made for area. (2) Funding should be consistent through different Administrations. (3) Should take a close look at viable working models and apply. (4) Marine debris from all over the world- need to educate Pacific populations about the impact on the NWHI. (4) Enforcement for preventing this is also key.
• EEZ is only 200 miles- should be expanded to 500 miles. Consider intermediate area (200-500 miles)
• Cruise ship and military dumping- prevent dumping from coming to the islands.
• No ecotourism.
• Strict rules for ecotourism to prevent negative impacts- chemicals, lotion, plastic.
• No dumping of plastics at all.
• Consider alternatives (biodiesel fuel, wind, solar power).
• Monitor temperature to see if coral is impacted by global warming.
• Spiritual significance should be critical to decisions.
• Hawaiians should be given access for spiritual practices and sustenance.
• Government agencies should not be voting members of Advisory Council- should not have influence and make decisions.
• Area should be governed by sovereign Hawaiians.
• Strict enforcement policy.
• Be sure funds are adequate for enforcement.
• No ships at all in area.
• Restrict access to lands- protect coral reefs, protect against human impact (waste).
• Keep current cap on commercial fishing.
• Should be provisions for debris clean-up.
• Ensure there is adequate funding for these provisions.
• Should be specific provisions prohibiting strip mining in NWHI.
• Current Administration should make this provision a priority (provide funding).
• Hawaiians should be allowed to do subsistence fishing in this area.
• Should not reduce any current regulations and preservation.
• Should monitor the area for foreign chemicals.
• Whatever is on the island, such as places of worship, archaeological sites should be respected and people should not be allowed to visit.
• Fishermen should respect the ocean and not litter.
• Preserve our food basket by allowing no fishing until it replenishes the supply.
• Key people should not be bribed by those that want to desecrate the sanctuary for economic gain.
• If there is control and we take care, there will be plenty (of food, resources, etc.).
• Sanctuary should be restricted to all people, since if you let a few go, it turns into tourism.
• Favoritism to allow some groups or persons to go to the NWHI should not be allowed.
• Gathering ideas now is a good thing for preservation in the NWHI for future generations.
• Have rules and ensure enforcement for preservation.
• Commercial fishers take too much and don't leave enough fish for native people.
• The netting takes everything and doesn't allow small fishes to repopulate the water.
• People will destroy the marine environment so they should not be allowed.
• Sanctuary should track current fish stock and allow some fishing but not enough to deplete stock.
• Seafood is an important and healthy staple in elderly and native Hawaiian diets and should not be wiped out by greedy commercial fishing.
• Make sure decisions that are made are made to help the environment and the people and not just for financial gain.
• Support Sanctuary, and very concerned about mess of the Main Hawaiian Islands marine environment. Wants no decimation of fisheries, fewer people impacts, less of all human impacts, including researchers.
• Concerned about ecotourism and government cooperators. Wants no ecotourism island based in the Main Hawaiian Islands in boats, no land based activities, include cultural practitioners, emphasize protection.
• Any government cooperators should be non-profit and subject to public review before cooperator is chosen. Research on both modern science and ancient Hawaiian history with advice from kupuna. Supports sanctuary and unified ocean governance.
• Supports NWHI Sanctuary, wants Hawai`i based youth involvement in education and management in the NWHI-instills a sense of pride and respect in NWHI.
• Supports idea of National Marine Sanctuary. So far, the Main Hawaiian Islands ( Maui ) has been poorly managed. New rules for the NWHI should be better than in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Look to what we've done wrong to see what to do right in NWHI.
• Don't go too fast. Be wary of human intervention. These remote places are special because the first people there took care of the area. Look to the host culture to get advice on how best to structure a Sanctuary.
• Cooperators/concessionaires could be a problem, but research is important. Look to cultural and historical research/values. Clean up of marine debris is important.
• Vessel Monitoring Systems for all boats in the NWHIs. This should be mandatory.
• What branch of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (State of Hawai`i ) will be involved in the NWHI?
• Concerned about the capacity (reason) for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)? For Hawaiians or for the OHA bureaucracy?
• Support long distance learning instead of visitation. Web-based learning.
• The current Reserve Advisory Council be more involved in addressing marine debris to develop national and international ocean policies on marine debris.
• Have a program that cause people to pay to help clean up, like Dolphin Institute.
• No more new fishery (extraction) efforts in the NWHIs.
• Think out well a sanctuary proposal. Look at the pristine descriptions of NWHI. So, take time to do careful plans with clearly defined objectives.
• Bottomfisher-brings in bottomfish for sale. Main Hawaiian Islands bottomfish folks catch a lot of bottomfish, and worry about NWHI bottomfish industry being displaced to the Main Hawaiian Islands. Do not harvest fishes for aquaria.
• Concerned about management of access in a sanctuary. Concerned that research (both cultural and science) be allowed under permit. Also permits for access.
• Islands should be open for some limited ecotourism and student groups, very limited and under escort and small groups in controlled environment.
• All critical habitat off limits except for permitted researchers.
• No development allowed on the islands, and no commercial use- strictly for learning.
• Number and size of vessels limited in Sanctuary (ie. No cruise ships).
• Supports current NWHI CRER but:1) In ROP, address cultural issues first especially native rights, 2) Coordinating not only with one voyaging canoe group but all voyaging canoe groups. (1) Kaua`i- Na Ka Lai Wa`a Kaua`I (2) Maui- Hui Wa`a `O Ka`alua Maka Koa (3) Hawai`i - Na Ka Lai Wa`a - Makali`i, University of Hawai`i at Hilo , University of Hawai`i at Manoa (3) O`ahu - Pacific Voyaging Society, Hokule`a, Hawai`i Loa
• Hawaiians included in monitoring program of NWHI Sanctuary/Reserve.
• Limit number of researchers, meaning small number of people/expeditions. Worried that too many researchers will damage resources.
• Bottomfish limited entry permits-leave it at current levels now supported by law. Keep use or lose program for limited entry bottomfish.
• Keep the special permits for Hawaiians (protect these permits).
• Do not cap those people who are now bottomfishing in NWHI (about 4 active total).
• More known about cultural history of NWHI than is being presented. Hands off of Nihoa and Mokumanamana- too spiritual.
• On Mokumanamana, no habitation was allowed. So, no researchers or ecotourists should stay on Necker (Mokumanamana).
• Go back to old ways of asking permission of kupuna and do proper cultural protocol. Take a cultural practitioner along.
• Not enough research being done among local people about the NWHIs. Ask the living practitioners and religious experts about the NWHI.
• Research can do harm to culture. (1) Always disrupts the sites, both physically and spiritually. Don`t take things. Return them (artifacts). (2) Research causes clashes between written documents and oral tradition, research has a way of separating the spiritual culture from written conclusions.
• Physical disruption examples- 1) carbon dating, 2) excavating, taking anything physical.
• Spiritual disruption is the intrusion of living people on the spirits who have lived there without proper protocol/ ask permission!
• Research takes away from oral traditions/native Hawaiians should tell their own stories- not others.
• Hard for host culture to access sacred island to honor/practice traditions.
• Does not believe that current organizations ( Bishop Museum , Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Polynesian Voyaging Society) do not represent all Hawaiians.
• Any sanctuary should be based on a lot of consultation and advice from host culture- NOT host culture organizations.
• Support a sanctuary regime that makes possible access for native Hawaiians.
• Notes that pre-sanctuary/post-sanctuary conditions show vast improvements with sanctuary.
• Some animals are in trouble like Hawaiian Monk Seals- want recovery to be part of a sanctuary. Support for recovery like extra money.
• Notes that such a large coral reef ecosystem is worth protecting.
• Have very harsh penalties for those who violate the rules of the NWHIs.
• All results of research is immediately part of public domain- not commercial.
• Research should mean applied research, not basic research.
• Sanctuary should support religious values of host culture.
• Cultural practitioners should work together whenever research occurs in the NWHIs. Find a way to attach the Hawaiian culture to any research. Ask permission and carry out protocols for all research activities in order to develop trust/respect.
• Bottomfishing- connect the grandfathering of bottomfish permits to include the family of the original permittee for that particular boat. All fishing boats should have observers.
• Department of Commerce promised a sanctuary like no other, one with strongest protection ever afforded a sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuaries system. We will hold DOC to that promise.
• Religious practitioner comment: Nihoa and Mokumanamana should be completely kapu (forbidden, off limits).
• Gathering rights of native Hawaiians should be permitted around both of the islands above.
• Also, there needs to be permission to gather for subsistence while practitioners/kupuna (elders)/Hawaiians are on the islands.
• Correct name for Necker or Mokumanamana is really Moku A Kamohoali`i (The island that awakens the shark god).
• Every group/person who goes to NWHI should learn Hawaiian protocol.
• Protect current bottomfish permit holders-but these permits should not be sold or bartered. When permit holder can no longer fish, the permit is pau (finished).
• No more EXPLOITATION in the NWHIs.
• Keep Hawaiian and cultural protocol in the NWHIs- on boats and with all visitors.
• Not the Hawaiian way for there to be Western control of any particular government entity. But, must also be wary of any one Hawaiian organization being solely in control.
• Make a sanctuary with very little use/access.

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