(HONOLULU) – After being struck by a vessel and stranding at Māhāʻulepū, Gillins beach on Kauai, sea turtle stranding responders knew the prognosis was poor for this large (150 lb) green sea turtle. The animal was rescued from the beach and transported to O‘ahu to be examined by a qualified sea turtle veterinarian that works with NOAA. There was hope that there might be a chance the turtle could survive its injuries and receive the necessary treatment and rehabilitation to be returned to the ocean.
News Releases
(HONOLULU) – The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) has updated commercial marine licenses (CML) terms and conditions to reflect a full statewide ban on commercial aquarium fishing until final environmental review, as required by a Nov. 27th First Circuit Court ruling.
(HONOLULU) – Shark warning signs are up on either side of Honolua Bay after a man encountered a shark this morning. The signs are placed, one mile on either side of the bay, from DT Fleming Beach Park to Punalau Beach, also known as Windmills.
(HONOLULU) – Beginning Thursday and possibly continuing through Tuesday, Dec. 15, drivers using Kapaa Quarry Road are strongly urged to stay alert and slow down while DLNR contractors address illegal campsites in the area.
(Honolulu) – Artists are welcome to submit entries to the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) in the annual art contest depicting game mammals and game birds for the 2021-22 hunting stamp. The wildlife conservation stamp is a requirement on Hawai’i state hunting licenses. The game bird stamp is required for anyone intending to hunt game birds. Both stamps will be available to stamp collectors.
(Makawao Forest Reserve, Maui) – At one time, workers with the state’s Na Ala Hele Trails and Access System counted 21 illegal trails crossing the popular Pineapple Express mountain bike trail at the Kahakapao Recreational Area. A series of legal, planned, and engineered trails at Kahakapao provide thrills and fun for mountain bikers of all ages and experience levels, as well as for hiking and horseback riding. For everyone’s safety, certain trails were built to keep various uses separated.
(HONOLULU) – The Department of Land and Natural Resources is taking immediate steps to comply with a new order issued late Friday from the First Circuit Court, requiring Chapter 343 environmental review for issuance of new or renewed annual commercial marine licenses (CMLs) to be used for aquarium fishing purposes under HRS 189-2.
(MOLOKA’I) – Forests on the southern slopes of Moloka‘i are about to receive additional protections from threats like wildfires, erosion, and flooding thanks to a new award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The foundation has awarded over $1.8 million to the DLNR to address threats using proven tools such as fencing and removing hooved animals, as well as creating firebreaks.
(Kahului) – Warning signs are up on either side of Honokowai Beach Park in West Maui after an apparent shark incident this afternoon. Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) put signs up north from Kahana Village Vacation Rentals and south to Papakea Resort, just north of Airport beach.
(Kailua-Kona) – On November 6, 2020 DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) staff on Hawai’i Island responded to a report of numerous live coral fragments scattered below the base of a popular manta dive site mooring at Makakō Bay (Garden Eel Cove) in North Kona. DAR Kona staff documented numerous broken coral colonies along the mooring line and approximately 150 broken coral fragments in the sand at the base of the mooring. The definitive cause of the damage could not be determined and likely occurred more than two weeks prior to the report.