(HONOLULU) – Reinforcing the concept, that it takes everyone to watch out for our natural resources; reports from concerned citizens, along with observations made during routine patrols by the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) led to two separate law enforcement actions this week. Hundreds of feet of illegal lay net were also recovered or seized.
Aquatic Resources
(Kihei, Maui) – Shark warning signs are being removed from beaches stretching from Kalama Beach Park to the Kihei boat ramp. This morning a Kihei woman reported what she believed may have been a shark bite. She was taken to the hospital, where an evaluation of her wound, by experts from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), determined it was most likely not caused by a shark. What caused her injury is unknown.
(Kihei, Maui) – A 61-year-old woman, swimming 120-yards off Charlie Young beach in Kihei encountered what she believes was a shark at around 11:00 this morning. She said she did not see a shark but just felt a bite. She was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. It is not known at this time where the woman is from.
(Honolulu) – With the popular Ahu O Laka sandbar inKāne'ohe Bay currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, recreational boaters have moved away from anchoring at the sand bar.
(Honolulu) – Seven Honolulu men face multiple charges after officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources (DOCARE) received a call reporting illegal fishing in the Waikīkī Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD) and the adjoining Waikīkī Fisheries Management Area (FMA).
(HONOLULU) – Calling the illegal actions “outrageous,” DLNR Chair Suzanne Case praised the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) arrest yesterday of a West Hawai‘i aquarium fish collector. 57-year-old Steve Howard of Kailua-Kona, a well-known aquarium fisher, was arrested after a bizarre series of events that included a search and rescue operation. Howard was observed launching his boat at DLNR’s Honokohau Small Boat Harbor. When DOCARE officers were alerted, they mobilized, and followed the boat to the Kailua-Kona pier, where Howard picked up two women.
(Honolulu) – The dropping of the Formosa’s anchor on coral in Kailua Bay on Hawai‘i island in October 2018 has resulted in the luxury yacht owners reaching a settlement with the state for $100,000 to the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), which will go to supporting coral reef management and restoration in West Hawai‘i.
(Hilo) – Thursday morning a DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) officer, on patrol, spotted a vessel in the West Hawai‘i Regional Fisheries Management Area (FMA), off South Point. The DOCARE officer maintained surveillance on the boat during the day and then a team of officers boarded it, as they suspected aquatic resources violations.
(Kona) - Last week, the DLNR Divisions of Aquatic Resources (DAR), State Parks (SP), the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, local businesses, and members of the community, conducted two separate marine debris cleanups in West Hawai‘i.
(Honolulu) – There are no plans to ‘detonate-in-place,” two WWII era munitions in waters off Molokini Crater in Maui County. The decision, announced today, is based on an assessment from the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DESB) conducted at the State’s request.