The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has long issued annual commercial and recreational aquarium fish permits, pursuant to HRS §188-31 and administrative rules, authorizing the use of fine meshed traps or nets to take aquatic life for aquarium purposes. On Wednesday, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruled that aquarium collection using fine meshed traps or nets is subject to the environmental review procedures provided in the Hawai‘i Environmental Policy Act (HEPA). The issue has been remanded to the circuit court for further proceedings.
News Releases
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will be holding its sixth public information meeting on sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mitchell Pau‘ole Community Center, located at 90 Ainoa Street in Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i.
Over $1.1 billion– that’s how much federal funds were made available to states in 2017 for wildlife and sport fish restoration programs. Over $8.1 million alone was made available to Hawaii in 2017! The source of these funds: the Pittman-Robertson (1937) and Dingell-Johnson (1950) Acts administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program: https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/. These Acts impose federal excise taxes on the sale of firearms, handguns, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing tackle, yachts and pleasure craft. Revenue from these taxes goes right back into state wildlife agencies, like the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) in Hawaii, for wildlife and sport fish restoration projects, education, and shooting range development.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Island Conservation, and other Lehua Island Restoration Project partners became aware of social media posts, photos and video that show dead fish or birds that posters claim were killed by a rodenticide currently being used to eradicate non-native, damaging (invasive) rats from the island. However unlikely the connection, the project partners take any potential risks to non-target species and marine life, extremely seriously.
HONOLULU -- As summer draws to a close and Labor Day weekend beckons for outdoor activities, the Department of Land and Natural Resources wants to encourage everyone, especially those with pets, to practice safe fun in the sun. Help protect our natural environment and always properly dispose of any trash on land and sea.
HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife will conduct an ungulate control program at Puu Waawaa Mauka (above Mamalahoa Highway), during three consecutive weekends in September: Labor Day weekend Sept. 2-4, Sept. 9 and 10, and Sept. 16 and 17. During these dates hiking will not be permitted.
HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) this month will conduct animal control activities specifically for trapping mouflon/feral sheep hybrids; staff hunting, and/or aerial shooting from helicopters for feral goats, feral sheep, mouflon and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids within palila critical habitat in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (Unit K), Palila Mitigation Lands, and the Kaohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on the island of Hawai‘i.
(Lihu‘e, Kaua‘i) – The second scheduled aerial application of a rodenticide to eliminate invasive rats from the State Seabird Sanctuary on Lehua Island was successfully completed today. As with the first helicopter application on August 23rd, this second application began at first light and was complete in about three hours.
(Honolulu) – The final stage of work to remove rockfall hazards along the exterior and interior slopes of the iconic Diamond Head State Monument will begin September 18, 2017. This phase will focus on the summit hiking trail, and is expected to be completed by early December 2017.
(HONOLULU) – Today, hope reigns for Lehua Island, as an operation commenced to make the island’s threatened wildlife safe from introduced, damaging, invasive rats. DLNR and its partners carried out carefully made plans to remove the invasive rats with support from Native Hawaiian and local communities. Dozens of Federal and State permits affirming that the operation poses very little risk to people, marine mammals, fish, sea turtles, birds, or other wildlife were secured in advance of the operation.