NWHI Marine National Monument and Hanauma Bay

February 2, 2007 at 11:27 pm · Filed under Conserving Coral Reefs, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Spam

Friday morning began by meeting with Kerry Irish to discuss the design of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.  On June 15th, 2006, President Bush designated an area 1200 statute miles long by 100 nautical miles wide as a protected monument by power of the Antiquities Act of 1906.  This area houses about 7,000 species, a quarter of which are endemic to Hawaii.  There has never before been an aquatic monument established under this act, so Kerry is working to determine how exactly to manage this monument.  The Antiquities Act's lack of defined guidelines has presented Kerry with 'A real opportunity to make a difference' during the design of this monument.  Previously, the area had been listed as a sanctuary by President Clinton, but President Bush's move to make the area a monument offers much greater legal protection.  Currently, the State of Hawaii, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce serve as co-trustees of this magnificent marine monument.   

 Despite the absolute protection now offered to this vast area of coral reefs and the marine life inhabiting it, there is much controversy surrounding the monument itself.  Native Hawaiians, fishermen, the scientific community, lawyers, and the public all have differing and diverse opinions about the establishment and usefulness of this monument.  This has caused much frustration in the community as progress has been made through the natural growing pains of the design process.  It was a unique experience and absolutely fascinating to listen to Kerry talk as she walked us through the various issues that must be dealt with during the design process.  Also, the amount of governmental red-tape that must be navigated to implement procedures for protection blew me away, and the task Kerry faces appears to be truly monumental.  

 After talking with Kerry, we hopped in our beloved econovan, and moved onto our next exotic locale, Hanauma Bay. Hanauma Bay is a remarkable example of marine conservation in action.  As recently as 1988, an estimated 10,000 people visited the bay a day.  This number is mind-boggling after seeing the small size of the beach and bay.  Luckily, restrictive measures were employed during the 1990's, and now only around 3,000 people are allowed daily.   Just imagine 10,000 people on this beach, and also look at the stream of people entering the bay as viewed from the reef:

 Upon entering the park, we were required to listen to a brief orientation followed by an educational video.  This orientation is designed to educate visitors to the delicate nature of this amazing reef ecosystem, teaching tourists safe and environmentally friendly snorkeling practices.  After entering the beach, we immediately witnessed many individuals standing on the reef, an action that was specifically deemed as harmful during the orientation.  There wasn't much we could do, so we found a nice spot to settle, and geared-up to go for a snorkel.  

 Now, Emily was excited to go on another sea turtle hunt, but I think I was equally excited to try out my new underwater casing for my digital camera.   Amy, Emily and myself buddied up and headed in.  After about 5 minutes we spotted our first Honu (green sea turtle).

Emily was PSYCHED, but like a good ecotourist, she withheld the urge to dive down and hug the turtles.  As we continued our snorkel, we saw a variety of reef life, here are some pictures of just a few of the fish we saw:  

  Unfortunately, our Hanauma Bay experience had to come to an end, but I think it is safe to say that everyone enjoyed a wonderful day of snorkeling which just so happened to occur on the most beautiful day we experienced on our trip.  To end a great day, Dave Johnston and Kerry Irish had us over for a dinner of Ahi, Opa, Mahi-Mahi, and veggie burgers, a fabulous night to help wind down a remarkable trip.  Sadly, no Spam was served as Costco only sold six-packs. 

-Andrew 

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MMAC and WesPac

February 2, 2007 at 5:21 pm · Filed under Protected Species and Longlines, Notices and Updates, Native Hawaiian Perspectives, Spam

Yesterday morning we saw fishery management in action.  Before we had the fun of seeing breaching humpback whales, we were regaled to the sights, sounds, and tastes of fishery management.  WesPac (The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council) was holding a Marine Mammal Advisory Committee meeting.  It was here where we met again some familiar friendly faces from the week and listened to the issues regarding the interactions between false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) and pelagic longline fisheries.

The meeting didn't begin until the usual informal re-introductions were made.  At the same time, all the participants found themselves muffins and coffee.  The coffee seemed to be Kona coffee and in keeping with Hawaii standards was quite good.  Unfortunately, Hawaiian steak (aka SPAM) was not present.  I, like Justin before me, recognize the validity of SPAM and was a bit disappointed by the absence of rice and SPAM.

The first topic on the docket was to review the recommendations made from their previous meeting in May. The second was a short summary by Chris Yates regarding the Pacific Scientific Review Group (SRG).  Next, Lisa Van Atta  discussed some of the various mitigation measures.  Our very own Andy Read then talked about the situation in the Atlantic between pilot whales and pelagic longline fisheries.  Lastly before lunch, Dave Johnston discussed some findings based on an experimental longline vessel research trip.

The major realization from the Committee meeting was the efficiency of the moderator, Paul Dalzell, and the degree of questions asked by the Committee.  At the end of each presentation, the moderator quickly maneuvered with alacrity between the many questioners.

The issue with false killer whales are that they are smart animals who have figured out that free lunches are obtainable from following longline vessels and either eating the bait or the fish (that ate the bait) off the hooks.  This behavior (depredation of hooks) impacts both the whales and the fishery.  The whales potentially can be mortally hooked or entangled by line and fishers loose (among other things) the money associated with the lost catch.

It was great to see some of the people we had met earlier in the week.  Of the people we heard and saw again, these are a few of my observations from the meeting.  Sean Martin identified the ways in which working with fishers could yield possible solutions to the issue.  Lisa Van Atta and Andy discussed some solutions and ideas from the Atlantic fisheries.  Lastly, Dave spoke about some of the possibilities of acoustics research and the limiting of bait discards.  Although we did not stay for the afternoon portion of the Committee meeting, it was clear that not enough definitive answers were available and some more on-the-boat research and experimentation will be needed next.  In the meantime, the Committee and WesPac are on a trajectory to find solutions to the false killer whale issues.

After the committee broke for lunch, we met for half an hour with Kitty Simonds.  Ms. Simonds is the executive director of WesPac.  Given the importance of WesPac on marine issues and conservation in the Pacific it was great to meet up with her.  She was very friendly and was very enthusiastic about the shift to ecosystem-based management of ocean ecosystems.  Further, she spoke about the positives of working with native Hawaiians and the benefits of an Ahupua'a management system of marine resources. (See Jen's post on the 29th to revisit our meeting with the DaMates.) Although WesPac has in the past been a lightning rod for criticism, they are clearly attempting to do proactive work on many issues.

The next stop for us was Hawaiian plate lunches, quality coffee, and (for some) SPAM… ~Michael

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Whales!

February 2, 2007 at 2:17 am · Filed under Ship strikes and Whales, Protected Species and Longlines, Spam

While there were no sightings of Justin eating SPAM today, we had an exciting afternoon filled with sightings of a different sort.  After lunch we piled into our favorite van and headed to the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail with hopes of seeing humpback whales.  Not only did we want to see whales, but we had our hopes set on seeing a whale breach (jump out of the water).  Hiking up the winding trail, we were treated to gorgeous views of the steep mountains plunging into the vast Pacific Ocean.   

Just a few minutes into our hike, two whales revealed themselves with their white puffs of breath that hovered momentarily above the calm water far below.  We watched them for several minutes waiting to see if they would breach, but they didn't.  So we continued hiking up the trail, periodically scanning the horizon for signs of whales.  The trail ended at a fenced concrete platform perched on top of the mountain that gave us a spectacular, nearly 360-degree view of the neighboring mountains, bays, and islands.  We also had a great view of the large rain cloud that was headed right toward us.

Ignoring the looming cloud, we spotted 3 or 4 whales nearby, including a mother and calf pair.  We followed their movements carefully, hoping they would give us the performance we came to see.  The rain came, but we stood undeterred on our perch and let the rain soak through our not-so-waterproof jackets.  

Finally, the rain let up, and we saw one of the whales coming to the surface.  But, instead of the white puff of its breath, the whale launched its bulky body almost entirely out of the water.  It was an incredible and very exciting sight to see.  I've wanted to see a whale breach for a long time, and I was really hoping I'd have the chance to see it on this trip.  I think we were all very excited to see such an amazing event.  The excitement didn't stop there; all of the whales we had been watching began to breach, some of them multiple times.  Later, after we'd hiked back down to the van and driven to a nearby beach to swim, we watched from the beach as the whales gave us another spectacular show. 

The whale said to me

Hello world, here's my body.

Mahalo, I said

-Kelly 

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ESA, MMPA and Tow Away!

February 1, 2007 at 3:52 am · Filed under Monk Seals, Marine Mammals and Ecotourism, Ship strikes and Whales, Spam

Since so many of us start our day off with spam, well, actually, just Justin, I felt it would only be proper to also start my blog with a fun filled SPAM fact. In the category of did you know: Residents of a Hawai’i eat an average of four cans of SPAM per person per year, more than any other place on Earth. Onto the rest of our day…

            We started the morning like so many mornings before, clamoring into our beloved van and heading out for the day. This morning we headed downtown to talk with Chris Yates and Lisa Van Atta from the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Chris and Lisa have the unique jobs of implementing the management and legal side of conservation biology. We first talked about some of the concerns regarding the proposed Superferry. The Superferry is a large (105 m) high speed, around 25-35 knots, ferry that will facilitate inter-island transport. The proposed routes will take the Superferry right through the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, posing a threat to the many humpback whales that migrate every year to Hawaii to breed. The recommended speed to avoid and mitigate ship strikes is 13 knots. Although it would seem that humpbacks would be seemingly invincible from many threats, they, especially juveniles, are susceptible to ship strikes. If a ship going such high speeds were to hit a whale, the results would likely be catastrophic.  How real is this problem? A similar ferry, made by the same ship builders, runs in the Canary Islands and has struck and killed sperm whales in the past, leaving very graphic image of dead whales.

            Humpback whales are protected under a variety of laws: The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Both the MMPA and the ESA prohibit the ‘taking’ of a marine mammal or listed species. ‘Taking’ includes killing the whale, but it also includes harassing the animal. The Superferry has not completed an Environmental Impact Statement which would detail the environmental impacts of the ferry to both whales and other species, nor have they consulted with NOAA regarding the ESA. Unfortunately, right now it is a bit of a waiting game to see what will happen next.

            However, when it comes to protecting Spinner Dolphins, NOAA is trying to prevent harassment before it really starts. Spinner Dolphins, so named for their interesting acrobatics, feed in the deeper waters off the islands during the night, and then use protected coves and bays during the day to rest. It is during this resting period that these dolphins are exposed to human interaction. Many people are fascinated by dolphins and want to experience them up close and personal. Often there are many people in the water in and around the dolphins while they are trying to rest. It is probably the equivalent of people standing in your bedroom while you are sleeping and talking loudly, telling you how cute you are, and trying to pet you. It is unlikely you would feel very rested in the morning. While the exact impacts of these interactions are unknown, NOAA is trying to protect the dolphins while balancing the desires of people to interact with these animals. And, these are just a few of the issues facing Chris and Lisa. Not an easy job, but definitely an essential aspect of marine mammal conservation.

            After thanking Chris and Lisa we hopped back in the van and were off to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument Office to talk with Jason Baker about Monk Seals. An interesting note: Within the offices for the monument are photos from the book Archipelago: Portraits of Life in the World’s Most Remote Island Sanctuary by David Littschwager. These photos are some of the most amazing marine photos I have ever seen. It is really neat to be able to see them blown up larger than life, and gives us a since of the place. It also does not hurt that the first image you see when you get off the elevator is a monk seal, which is what I was originally talking about. The monk seals, like many of the marine mammals that we have talked about, present a unique conservation issue. Within the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, an area with less than 100 humans, the monk seals are not doing very well. But, in the Main Hawaiian Islands with over a million people and countless interactions with humans, they are fat and happy. Jason spoke with us regarding much of the new scientific information regarding monk seals distribution and threats. Not only are monk seals facing threats such as fishing gear, and lack of food, but they are also facing threats from global climate change. As sea level rises it will decrease the amount of land available for the seals to haul out. It is remarkable that even in such a remote place, the impacts from humans can be felt. 

            Our day was not yet over as we once again we piled back into the van and headed back downtown again to meet with Paul Achitoff, an attorney for Earthjustice. All too often in conservation litigation is a necessary tool to enforce and implement the law. Yesterday we talked to Sean Martin regarding conservation measures the longline fishery is using to prevent bycatch. It was the lawsuit from Earthjustice and Paul that pushed fisherman to find ways to minimize bycatch and greatly reduced the numbers of turtles taken in this fishery. Although often unpopular, litigation is just one of the many tools used in conservation.

            At the end of the day we all headed back to the van, but decided to take the bus instead. 

Tomorrow: more SPAM and more Van. 

Aloha,

Ellen

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Catastrophic Parking Error…

January 31, 2007 at 9:21 pm · Filed under Notices and Updates, Spam

We learned another important lesson today.  This one had nothing to do with marine conservation, but instead reminded us to read parking signs more carefully. It was more than a little disconcerting to come out of the Earthjustice office this afternoon to find that our van had vaporized.  Fortunately, we were able to retrieve it, although it took the monetary equivalent of a couple of cases of spam to repossess the big white vehicle.  All is well that ends well…

Andy

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