Ka`u News Briefs Monday, March 6, 2017

The distinctive horn of this quirky-looking reef fish inspired its common name, the unicornfish. 

Known as kala in Hawaiian, unicornfish can live for more than 50 years. Kala are popular among 

fishermen but its long lifespan makes it vulnerable to overfishing. 

Photo from NOAA Fisheries/Kevin Lino

MANY HAWAIIAN REEF FISH ARE OVERFISHED, according to a just-released assessment of their populations. The new study of Hawai`i's coral reef fish shows that 11 of 27 species, including kala and uhu, are experiencing some level of overfishing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. The researchers report that that other reef fish are “in a much better condition.”

Ulua is the Hawaiian name for  Bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus).  

Ulua are among the 11 species that are being overfished.  

Photo from NOAA Fisheries/Jeanette Clark

     “Typically, fish that live the longest or fish that are highly targeted by fishermen tended to be in poorer condition.” wrote the NOAA researchers. “For example, kala (the bluespine unicorn fish) can live for decades (more than 50 years), are a popular target, and are currently experiencing overfishing. Compare that with species such as weke nono (Pflueger's goatfish) that only live up to six years and are in better condition.”

   The study says, “Surgeonfishes and parrotfishes were families with the most vulnerable species, while goatfish populations were generally in better condition. In all, our assessment suggests that ulua, five surgeonfish, two goatfish, and three parrotfish species are doing poorly. Ultimately, this assessment generated management options for a range of overfishing risk levels.”

     NOAA researchers used the average length of each species to calculate current fishing mortality rates and combined this information with maximum known age, growth, and maturity data to calculate current stock condition.
     “Kala are one of many fish species that inhabit coral reefs around the main Hawaiian Islands and are of great importance socially, culturally, and economically.

A school of yellowfin goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis).
Photo from NOAA Fisheries/Andrew E. Gray

     “Reef fish are a valuable source of food for local fishermen, hold significance in Hawaiian culture, and draw tourists to explore their underwater habitats. Despite their importance to fisheries in Hawai‘i, there was not a lot of information on how populations of certain species were doing. To answer this question for fishery managers, we collected and considered information on fish numbers, sizes, and biology from diver surveys, life history studies, and commercial and recreational catch numbers,” explained the NOAA researchers.

     “We then compared those conditions to well-established sustainability guidelines,” wrote the researchers. “This allowed us to provide information on which reef fish species are currently threatened by overfishing and propose options for future fisheries management. Now, for the first time, we present assessments of 27 different Hawaiian reef fish including kala (bluespine unicornfish), uhu (various parrotfishes), kumu (whitesaddle goatfish), ulua (giant trevally), and many other species.

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MANY TEACHERS WILL WEAR RED TUESDAY at Hawai`i’s state public schools, including Na`alehu, Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary.  The plan by organizers is to wear red and wave signs Tuesday morning before school begins to show solidarity and draw attention to teacher contract negotiations. According to the teachers' union, the Hawai`i State Teachers Association, key members of the state’s negotiating team have not been present at contract talks, impeding both sides from fully discussing important items.

      HSTA has called for a "fair contract" with a pay package that would attract and retain teachers, which would help end the state’s teacher shortage crisis. Hawai`i's high cost of living and relatively lower teacher pay compared to other expensive places to live is a deterrent for teachers staying here.

      The sign waving and walk-in are part of a campaign entitled Schools Our Keiki Deserve.  

Teachers in Ka`u plan to wear read Tuesday to bring awareness of their union
contract negtiaions. Hawai`i has the highest cost of living in the country,
but teacher salaries are lower than in other places with similar costs.

     Tuesday’s event is sponsored by HSTA, which is the exclusive representative of more than 13,500 public school teachers statewide.

      For more on this event and the back story, please read the Ka’u News Briefs of March 3.  

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THE NEW TRAVEL BAN ISSUED BY PRES. DONALD TRUMP on Tuesday drew a response from Ka`u's Representative in the U.S. House.
    Tulsi Gabbard said,  “True to our history and values as a nation, we have served as a place of refuge to the most vulnerable in the world. We should not be putting in place a blanket ban of refugees, especially when we have actively been fueling the counterproductive regime change wars that have caused them to flee their homes. These people would much rather stay in their homes and live in peace. That’s why we must address the cause of this refugee crisis and end the destructive U.S. policy of counterproductive regime-change wars, as we’ve seen most recently in Iraq, Libya, and now in Syria.”

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DAILY DIRECT FLIGHTS TO DENVER FROM KONA will start on June 8. This service, on United Airlines, is currently available weekly.
     The flight will leave Kona at 8 p.m. and arrive in Denver around 6:45 a.m. The flight will leave Denver at 11:45 a.m. and arrive in Kona around 3 p.m.
     "Starting this summer we're offering more flights, to more destinations at more convenient times than in recent memory," said Scott Kirby, president of United Airlines. "And with bigger and more modern aircraft for many of our flights, we'll be getting you to the moments that matter most - relaxed and ready to go."
     United Airlines and United Express operate more than 4,500 flights a day to 339 airports across five continents. In 2016, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 143 million customers. United operates 737 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express partners operate 483 regional aircraft.

Hawaiian Cordage Workshops, Tue, Mar 7/28, 1 – 4 p.m., Volcano Art Center. With Gary Eoff. 967-8222

Unforeseen Consequences of Sandalwood Trade, Tue, Mar 7, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Paul Field, park volunteer and retired professor of History at Windward Community College, discusses how the sandalwood trade impacted relations between commoners and chiefs, altered the concept of mana and led to the first official interference of the U.S. government in affairs of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Weave Coconut Fronds (Ulana Niu), Wed, Mar 8, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Learn how to weave coconut fronds into useful and beautiful items with local expert Cathy Gouveia. The coconut palm is one of the most useful and important plants in the world. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, Mar 11, Volcano Art Center. With Jean Pierre Thoma & The Jazztones. 967-8222

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, March 5, 2017

Big lava, small people above the pressurized magma system that let off a swarm
of earthquakes on Sunday. USGS Photo 

MORE THAN 30 EARTHQUAKES lightly shook Ka`u and Volcano on Sunday, with a 2.9 temblor two miles south of Pahala giving a jolt at 7:50 p.m. The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that, starting just before 6 a.m. Sunday morning, a flurry of small earthquakes occurred on Kīlauea Volcano's upper East Rift Zone.
     The morning earthquakes were concentrated about three to four miles southeast of Kīlauea's summit in an area between Hi'iaka and Koʻokoʻolau Craters on the Chain of Craters Road in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The sequence consisted of 31 earthquakes over a period of about 42 minutes. The eight largest events had magnitudes ranging from 1.7 to 3.9 and depths of about one to two miles beneath the surface. At least six of the earthquakes were felt Sunday morning on the Island of Hawaiʻi, primarily in the Ka'ū and Puna Districts. The USGS "Did you feel it?" website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/dyfi/) received more than 30 felt reports within an hour of the largest earthquake, which occurred at 6:13 a.m. Weak to light shaking, with maximum Intensity of IV, has been reported.

More than 30 earthquakes occurred Sunday morning near Volcano
with another in the evening in Pahala. USGS Map   

    The size and location of this morning's earthquake sequence suggest a source that may be related to the ongoing pressurized magma storage system beneath the Kīlauea summit area. According to Tina Neal, HVO Scientist-in-Charge, the earthquakes caused no significant changes in Kīlauea Volcano's ongoing eruptions. No changes in deformation or ground surface cracks were observed in the area.
     For more information on recent earthquakes in Hawaii and Kīlauea eruption updates, visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

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ALOHA WAS THE MESSAGE AT PROPHET MUHAMMAD DAY on Sunday, with a keynote speaker from Hawai`i. Ka`u's Representative in Congress, Tulsi Gabbard, delivered the address at the Tenth Annual Prophet Muhammad Day event at Rutgers University in New Jersey, hosted by Muslims 4 Peace. According to a statement from Gabbard, the celebration focused on "bringing communities together to celebrate the legacy of compassion, mercy, and justice of the Prophet Muhammad, and to stand together against anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies."

The first Hindu in the U.S. Congress
Photo from Tulsi Gabbard

     During her speech, Gabbard pointed to terrorists, saying. "Sadly, as we look around us at the chaos in the world today, we see people who are inflicting violence and terror upon others in the name of religion and identity. On Jan. 29, six people were killed and 19 wounded as they were fired upon while they prayed in a Quebec City mosque. On Feb. 16, an ISIS-affiliated suicide bomber killed at least 75 people while they worshipped at a shrine to the Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Pakistan—a place that was tragically targeted for embracing worshippers of all faiths and sects side by side.
     "Since the beginning of 2017, hundreds of tombstones have been toppled at Jewish cemeteries in Philadelphia and St. Louis and nearly 100 bomb threats have been called into Jewish schools and community centers across our nation. In February of last year, ISIS beheaded a senior Hindu priest named Jogeswar Roy at a temple in northern Bangladesh, and injured two others. Just a few months before this, ISIS conducted attacks on Shia mosques and shrines in Bangladesh killing and injuring worshippers.
     "The perpetrators of these horrific actions have no connection with the spiritual love that lies at the heart of all religions—the love that has the power to overcome differences and bring people together," she said. "No matter where you're from, no matter what religion you practice, your ethnicity, race, or anything else—what is it that can bring us together as people? It is, what we call in Hawai`i, aloha... sincere, deep love and respect for other people as children of God."
     She said, however, that there is "not one place—not even our own nation—that is immune to the poison of religious bigotry. Abraham Lincoln was attacked with accusations that he was not a Christian. When John F. Kennedy ran for President, his political opponents tried to foment religious bigotry against his Catholicism. When Barack Obama ran for president in 2007, people accused him of being Muslim, as if that would somehow disqualify him from becoming president. Said Gabbard, the first Hindu in the U.S. Congress, "When I first ran for Congress, my Republican opponent stated in a CNN interview that I shouldn't be allowed to serve in Congress because my Hindu religion 'doesn't align with the constitutional foundation of the US government.' Last year, my Republican opponent stated that, 'a vote for Tulsi is a vote for the devil,' because of my Hindu faith."

Ka`u's member in the Hawai`i House of Representatives,
Tuslsi Gabbard, speaks at Prophet Muhaamad Day at Rutgers 
University on Sunday. Image from Tulsi Gabbard

      Gabbard said, "The message in each of these situations was simple: you will be punished politically for being of the wrong religion. Nothing could be more un-American than this.
     "The only way to defeat this dark cloud of religious bigotry and hatred is when we stand together in the light of love. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
   Gabbard insisted, "We must stand with people of all religions who are committed to pluralism and individual free choice. People like: Mahmoud Al 'Asali who was assassinated for courageously speaking out against ISIS' brutal treatment of Christians in Mosul; Khurram Zaki, a prominent Pakistani journalist and human rights activist who was assassinated because he was one of many Muslims courageously advocating for a pluralistic, tolerant, secular Pakistan; Kenyan Muslims who shielded Christians from the attack of terrorists; Jewish and Christian leaders in Victoria, Texas who opened their synagogue and churches to the Muslim community whose mosque burned down.

    "There are countless examples of such love and courage by individuals and communities who embrace and live by the true spiritual principles of peace, love, mercy, and tolerance; who are building coalitions of Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems, atheists, secularists, and more; who are risking their lives, bravely crying out for a peaceful, pluralistic society built on the bedrock of religious freedom. So the challenge for each and every one of us here is—will we elevate and empower these champions of peace and a pluralistic society? Will we do what is necessary to defeat the destructive exclusivist ideology with one of love, aloha, and inclusiveness? Or will we stand by, shake our heads, and do nothing? "We must act," stated Gabbard. 

Gabbard met with Muslims, including Rubab
Hasanali at the event to encourage tolerance.
Photo from Rubab Hasanali

     "For the sake of our families, our communities, our country, and all of humanity, we must stand with these brave souls, these warriors for peace. Let us stand proudly as Americans, as defenders of our constitution, as defenders of freedom, as defenders of peace, as beacons of love. Let us be brave and forceful in standing up for each other's rights to live and worship freely and let us not be afraid to say that whoever threatens that right for any one of us will have to face all of us together. Let us be inspired by the vision put forward by our nation's founders, and challenge those fomenting religious bigotry to do the same.

     "Rather than pour fuel on the fire of darkness, divisiveness, and hatred, let us bring the light found in the aloha spirit to our lives, our country, and the world.
     "Let us be inspired as we join hands, working toward the day when everyone—whether they are Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jew, Muslim, or atheist—can live in peace and free from fear.
     "Let us confront hatred with love. Confront bigotry with aloha. Confront fear with courage. Let us truly live aloha in our actions, in our words, and in our hearts." 

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ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS is getting a call from Sen. Mazie Hirono to answer more questions about his alleged ties with Russia. She said, "I would welcome Jeff Sessions' resignation as Attorney General, but we need to get to the bottom of Russia's interference in our democracy -- starting with Jeff Sessions coming back to the Judiciary Committee to testify under oath and continuing with an independent investigation."      
     Hirono sits on the U.S. Senate's Armed Services and Judiciary committees.

     Hirono said on MSNBC on Friday, "I find it incredibly inconsistent that candidate Trump kept talking about massive voter fraud with no factual basis for that and yet when there is a factual basis for interference with our elections - Russian interference with our elections, President Trump shows no interest in getting to the bottom of it." In calling for an independent investigation on the matter, Hirono said the Russians have also interfered with elections in France and Germany "and will do it again." She said she questions the ability of the U.S. Attorney General's office to conduct a fair investigation.
     Rep. Tulsi Gabbard tweeted and posted: "In order to reduce the divisiveness in our country and increase the people's faith in our Justice Department, it would be best if Senator Sessions resigned. The sooner the better." Sessions recused himself from overseeing investigations into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and administration with Russians attempting to interfere in U.S. elections."
     To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Hawaiian Cordage Workshops, Tue, Mar 7/28, 1 – 4 p.m., Volcano Art Center. With Gary Eoff. 967-8222

Unforeseen Consequences of Sandalwood Trade, Tue, Mar 7, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Paul Field, park volunteer and retired professor of History at Windward Community College, discusses how the sandalwood trade impacted relations between commoners and chiefs, altered the concept of mana and led to the first official interference of the U.S. government in affairs of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Weave Coconut Fronds (Ulana Niu), Wed, Mar 8, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Learn how to weave coconut fronds into useful and beautiful items with local expert Cathy Gouveia. The coconut palm is one of the most useful and important plants in the world. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, Mar 11, Volcano Art Center. With Jean Pierre Thoma & The Jazztones. 967-8222

  

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, March 4, 2017

Ka`u Rural Health Community Association is asking Ka`u residents to sign up for its annual meeting by next
Friday, March 10.  Photo from KRHCA

A CALL TO ACTION CAMPAIGN CONCERNING THE IMPACT OF DRUGS, DOMESTIC ABUSE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE is the headline of Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc.'s 19th Annual Rural Health Conference set for Friday, March 17 at Pahala Community Center. Sign up by Friday, March 10 by calling 928-0101.

        KRHCAI's founder Jessie Marques said that the meeting has drawn sponsorships and presentations by the state Department of Health Maternal & Child Health Branch; the Sexual Prevention Program of the Family Health Services Division; the Office of Primary Care & Rural Health; Hawai`i Medical Services Association and Hawai`i Island Rural Health Association.
      All Ka`u residents are invited to attend.

       KRHCAI operates the Ka`u Distance Learning Center at  96-3126 Pauahi St. in Pahala.  The Center hosts the new HMSA-sponsored health care kiosk where residents can access physicians through video. The organization is also working to educate residents on how to use an automated external defibrillator. Through Hilo Medical Center Foundation's Be a Lifesaver Program, a class was given in February.

       KRHCAI has co-sponsored and lobbied for studies and education regarding living in a community with vog events from nearby volcanic activity. The organization has partnered local health career students with University of Hawai`i School of Medicine and other research institutions to learn more about vog and public health. 

      KRHCAI also offers long distance education and onsite classes in the health field. See www.KRHCA.com.

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STATE SEN. KAI KAHELE,  whose district is Hilo but supports south Big Island issues and programs, particularly in his family village of Miloli`i, is asking for help with the following bills still alive in the 2017 Hawai`i Legislature. Click on the links to these bills to read more about them and provide testimony directly to the Hawai`i Legislature:

Sen. Kai Kahele

     SB1292 SD1 - RELATING TO THE HILO COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DISTRICT. Establishes the Hilo Community Economic District located in East Hawai`i.
 SB1162 SD1 - RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I PROMISE PROGRAM. Establishes the University of Hawai`i Promise Program to provide scholarships for the unmet direct cost needs of qualified students enrolled at any campus of the University of Hawai`i System.
     SB848 SD1 - RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION. Expands the Hawaiian Language College's functions. Authorizes a Hawaiian language medium general education coursework pilot project.
     SB849 SD1 - RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT. Reduces the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement of certain successors to lessees of Hawaiian Home Lands from one-quarter to one thirty-second.
     SB272 SD1 - RELATING TO RAT LUNGWORM DISEASE. Appropriates funds to the University of Hawai`i at Hilo for programs, studies, and activities related to rat lungworm disease.  
     SB1290 SD1 - RELATING TO THE TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX. Adjusts allocation of transient accommodations tax revenues to the tourism special fund.
      "If these bills are approved next week, they'll crossover to the State House for further deliberations by our colleagues. In turn, House approved bills will crossover for further deliberation by the Senate," said Kahele.

EAST KA`U SENATOR RUSSELL RUDERMAN'S BILL to establish an agricultural park in Puna, and another to establish a long distance learning center there, is still alive,  It passed Senate Ways and Means and goes to the Senate floor this week.

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A WOMEN'S DAY GATHERING, SPONSORED BY WOMEN'S MARCH HAWAI`I,  is set for Tuesday, March 8 in Kona. It is a companion event to an International Women's March on the same day in Honolulu, when women and men will march to the Trump International Hotel in Waikiki. Women's March Hawai`i is the organization that inspired the movement that grew into hundreds of marches across the U.S. including the one in Washington D.C., the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Marches in Kona and Hilo drew thousands on Jan. 21.
Photo from Big Island Video News

     Organizer Yonghee Overly said the Kona gathering will take place at Pahoehoe Beach Park north of Kahalu`u Bay, 77-6434 Ali`i Drive, at 4 p.m. There will be an international potluck. She suggested wearing international clothing that  represents a home country or favorite country or wear pink. Bring photos of women who have been inspiring. Organizers are asking people for donations for West Hawai`i Food Bank, and clothing for women and children for the Kona Women Shelter.
     An announcement about the events says:  "Each year on March 8th, women and men around the world celebrate women’s achievements while calling for gender equality. Women’s March - Hawai‘i is partnering with AiKea Movement, UNITE HERE Local 5, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association and organizing an International Women’s Day event to honor the women workers who persisted. The event will include a march to Trump International Hotel Waikiki, rally and program.
     “Women and people of color experience higher rates of workplace injury, sexual harassment, unequal pay, and other forms of injustice at higher rates. In fact, International Women’s Day historically has focused on the working conditions of women. We want to send a message to the businesses and policymakers that men and women stand together to defend women’s rights and workers’ rights. This is our way of honoring women workers who persisted.”  See www.womensmarch.com.

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PUNALU`U BEACH PARK REOPENED on Saturday morning for ocean activities after being closed on Friday for a shark sighting.

Hawaiian Cordage Workshops, Tue, Mar 7/28, 1 – 4 p.m., Volcano Art Center.
With Gary Eoff. 967-8222

Unforeseen Consequences of Sandalwood Trade, Tue, Mar 7, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Paul Field, park volunteer and retired professor of History at Windward Community College, discusses how the sandalwood trade impacted relations between commoners and chiefs, altered the concept of mana and led to the first official interference of the U.S. government in affairs of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Free; park entrance fees apply.