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| Hezekiah Baji, Aleavah Abellera and Janslae Badua won in the Largest Aholehole division at Saturday's Keiki Fishing Tournment sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou at Punalu`u. Photo by Nalani Parlin |
The U.S. quota will shrink along with quotas for other member countries, even though the U.S. offers one of the best examples of enforcement of regulations to maintain the fishery and protect other marine life, government and industry officials said.
The reduction in the quota begins next year and lasts until 2018 and will result in a minimum $10 million in lost income to the U.S. fleet, the fishing boat owners predicted.
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| Joe Buyuan caught the most fish at Saturday's Keiki Fishing Tournament. He also won last year, taking over the legacy of his brother Jamal, who won many times. Photo by June Domondon |
According to a Gary Kubota story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Longline boats will be forced to try to make up for their reduced quota by traveling to the eastern Pacific on trips that take one to three days longer and are more costly.” Kubota also reports that Hawai`i Longline Association president Sean Martin, who was part of the U.S. delegation at Cairns where the decision was made in December, “said he was disappointed with the commission’s decision.”
Martin told Kubota that while the commission set a limit of 204 purse seine vessels for the Western Pacific in 2008, there are now more than 300, even though the U.S. has kept its fleet to the 40 in the agreement.
“In addition, Hawai`i’s longline fleet fish is thousands of miles away from where 90 percent of the bigeye fishing mortality occurs, which also makes us unique in terms of our impact on the stock,” Martin said.
Martin told Kubota that while the commission set a limit of 204 purse seine vessels for the Western Pacific in 2008, there are now more than 300, even though the U.S. has kept its fleet to the 40 in the agreement.
“In addition, Hawai`i’s longline fleet fish is thousands of miles away from where 90 percent of the bigeye fishing mortality occurs, which also makes us unique in terms of our impact on the stock,” Martin said.
Brian Holman, chief executive officer of the American Tuna Boat Association based in San Diego, told Kubota that the commission’s decision supports small island nations without reducing the regional tuna catch.
“It’s an economic decision,” Holman said. “It wasn’t based on conservation reasons.” The U.S. purse seine fishing fleet around American Samoa will also take a loss – 800 to 1,000 fewer fishing days and about $50 million annually, according to Holman’s report to Kubota.
China agreed to a 25 percent reduction to make up for earlier promised cutbacks. Other major developed countries took a 10 percent reduction in their bigeye catch, the story reported.
See more at www.staradvertiser.com.
“It’s an economic decision,” Holman said. “It wasn’t based on conservation reasons.” The U.S. purse seine fishing fleet around American Samoa will also take a loss – 800 to 1,000 fewer fishing days and about $50 million annually, according to Holman’s report to Kubota.
China agreed to a 25 percent reduction to make up for earlier promised cutbacks. Other major developed countries took a 10 percent reduction in their bigeye catch, the story reported.
See more at www.staradvertiser.com.
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| Aiz-n Gouveia and Anna Greeson placed in the Largest Hinale`a category. Photo by Nalani Parlin |
KEIKI FISHING TOURNAMENT RESULTS from Saturday's event at Punalu`u Beach Park are in. `O Ka`u Kakou sponsors the popular event each January as an opportunity to bring families and the community together. Largest Aholehole: 1)Janslae Badua 2) Aleavah Abellera 3)Hezekiah Baji; Largest Hinale`a: 1) Teani Keanu-Grace 2) Anna Greeson 3) Aiz-n Gouveia; Largest Kupipi: 1) Kahaku (TJ) Enriques 2) Chazlyn Mukini 3) Kaohinani Grace; Largest Po`opa`a: 1) Kaitlyn Alaoan 2) Lily Dacalio 3) Unknown; Largest Other: 1) Rylan Egusa (Panunui Fish) 2) Kaimana Kawaauhau-Young (Angel Fish) 3) Tenielle Jade Blanco (Hinale`a); Most Fish: Joe Buyuan (15 fish), Zachary Blanco-Louis (13 fish) and Kalino Judalina (13 fish).
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AN INCREASE IN CHINESE VISITORS to Ka`u is likely in the near future with Ka`u Coffee Mill owner Ed Olson and one of his partners in the Naniloa Hotel, Chinese entrepreneur Helen Koo, promoting the area. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is also seeing a rise in Chinese visitors and expects more as Hawai`i Island is the Chinese visitors’ second most visited island after O`ahu, according to Hawai`i Tourism Authority statistics.
THE KA`U DIRECTORY 2014 is available online. The 80-page Business & Community Resource Guide, sponsored by Ka`u Chamber of Commerce, includes important government and community and church phone numbers, business and nonprofit group listings and phone numbers, photos from The Ka`u Calendar newspaper, Peter Anderson and other Ka`u photographers and feature stories. Among them is the essay for the most recent Ka`u Chamber scholarship top winner and a story about the winner for the cover art of The Directory. Another feature explains the Chamber’s Ka`u Scenic Byway program. The book includes a calendar of events for this year and a calendar of weekly and daily activities in Ka`u and Volcano. Print versions will soon be distributed throughout the district. Ka`u Chamber president Dallas Decker said that this year, area organizations and businesses can join the Chamber and The Directory all year long to be included in the online version, guaranteeing a spot in the 2015 print version.
AN INCREASE IN CHINESE VISITORS to Ka`u is likely in the near future with Ka`u Coffee Mill owner Ed Olson and one of his partners in the Naniloa Hotel, Chinese entrepreneur Helen Koo, promoting the area. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is also seeing a rise in Chinese visitors and expects more as Hawai`i Island is the Chinese visitors’ second most visited island after O`ahu, according to Hawai`i Tourism Authority statistics.
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| Helen Koo, who founded the largest Chinese travel company in North America, is expected to help bolster Chinese travel to Hilo, Volcano and Ka`u. |
Olson said this morning that he sees Koo as key in Chinese visitation to Hilo, Ka`u Coffee mill and other destinations. “She will be a real asset,” he said.
A story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald says that ‘in the coming years, as the gateway between China and Hawai`i continues to open up, tourism experts are expecting an enormous influx of visitors.” Writer Colin M. Stewart reports Big Island Visitors Bureau executive director Ross Birch saying, “Asian markets have all seen huge increases in the last two or three years. And I think we’re going to see 100-plus percent increases year over year for China over the next couple of years.” He noted, however, that mainland and Japan visitor numbers will still dominate.
The story reports Hawai`i Tourism Authority statistics showing that “the state brought in more than $2.7 billion from Japanese visitor expenditures in 2012, up from $2.1 billion in 2011 and $1.9 billion in 2010. By comparison, Chinese visitors accounted for just $277 million in spending last year, $178 million in 2011 and $127 million in 2010.”
Birch told the reporter that the rise in Chinese tourism is “going to start a lot like our Japanese tourism boom. It will start with group tours. There will need to be Chinese-speaking tour coordinators with them because it’s easier to package tours with them. It may be a few more years before we start to get a lot of independent Chinese travelers. … We may get up to 50 percent of the level of the Japanese market in a short period of time. … The timeline is going to be a much shorter timeline. Instead of 20 years, it’ll be only four or five years of getting the same saturation, once they’ve gotten the green light to go.”
Olson’s partner Koo, who also owns Nani Mau Gardens, America Asia Travel Center, Inc. and Super Vacations, which bills itself as the largest Chinese travel company in North America, told the Tribune-Herald that she invested over $8 million in East Hawai`i and sees it as a growing market. “Ninety percent of our clients are people from China,” with about 100,000 visitors through her travel agency coming to the U.S. from China.
A story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald says that ‘in the coming years, as the gateway between China and Hawai`i continues to open up, tourism experts are expecting an enormous influx of visitors.” Writer Colin M. Stewart reports Big Island Visitors Bureau executive director Ross Birch saying, “Asian markets have all seen huge increases in the last two or three years. And I think we’re going to see 100-plus percent increases year over year for China over the next couple of years.” He noted, however, that mainland and Japan visitor numbers will still dominate.
The story reports Hawai`i Tourism Authority statistics showing that “the state brought in more than $2.7 billion from Japanese visitor expenditures in 2012, up from $2.1 billion in 2011 and $1.9 billion in 2010. By comparison, Chinese visitors accounted for just $277 million in spending last year, $178 million in 2011 and $127 million in 2010.”
Birch told the reporter that the rise in Chinese tourism is “going to start a lot like our Japanese tourism boom. It will start with group tours. There will need to be Chinese-speaking tour coordinators with them because it’s easier to package tours with them. It may be a few more years before we start to get a lot of independent Chinese travelers. … We may get up to 50 percent of the level of the Japanese market in a short period of time. … The timeline is going to be a much shorter timeline. Instead of 20 years, it’ll be only four or five years of getting the same saturation, once they’ve gotten the green light to go.”
Olson’s partner Koo, who also owns Nani Mau Gardens, America Asia Travel Center, Inc. and Super Vacations, which bills itself as the largest Chinese travel company in North America, told the Tribune-Herald that she invested over $8 million in East Hawai`i and sees it as a growing market. “Ninety percent of our clients are people from China,” with about 100,000 visitors through her travel agency coming to the U.S. from China.
Koo told the Tribune-Herald that with all of the new direct flights from China to Honolulu, including Hawaiian Airlines’ new Beijing route, “These flights will have a huge impact for us. I’m expecting my business in Hawai`i to grow by 30 percent this year.”
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| The Directory 2014 is now available online. |
To be included, call Elijah Navarro at 928-6471.
For an online, page-turning version, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.
For an online, page-turning version, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see http://www.kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
THE DEADLINE TO FILL OUT KA`U HOSPITAL’S community health needs survey is this Friday, Jan. 31. There are many ways to participate: via the Internet at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX or by completing a paper survey being distributed by members of the hospital’s community advisory board. Surveys are also available at the hospital’s rural health clinic.
The purpose of this survey is to help the hospital understand the needs and expectations of the community with respect to health services so that it can direct efforts more effectively in planning for the future. “In particular, we want to know what additional services are needed that aren’t provided now at the hospital, what we do well, what we should be doing differently and what the barriers are to getting the care you need,” said administrator Merilyn Harris.
Those who do not wish to complete a survey but who would like to provide a comment or suggestion can contact Harris at mharris@hhsc.org.
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DECADES OF DEGASSING AT KILAUEA: Wake Up and Smell the Coughing! is the title of tomorrow’s After Dark in the Park program.
Jeff Sutton and Tamar Elias, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geochemists, offer an update about volcanic gases, especially those related to the 2008‐2013 activity at Halema`uma`u Crater, and talk about vog – how it forms and what they’ve learned about its effects on our island environment. An optional “gas-tasting” party follow the talk that begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
The purpose of this survey is to help the hospital understand the needs and expectations of the community with respect to health services so that it can direct efforts more effectively in planning for the future. “In particular, we want to know what additional services are needed that aren’t provided now at the hospital, what we do well, what we should be doing differently and what the barriers are to getting the care you need,” said administrator Merilyn Harris.
Those who do not wish to complete a survey but who would like to provide a comment or suggestion can contact Harris at mharris@hhsc.org.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.
DECADES OF DEGASSING AT KILAUEA: Wake Up and Smell the Coughing! is the title of tomorrow’s After Dark in the Park program.
Jeff Sutton and Tamar Elias, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geochemists, offer an update about volcanic gases, especially those related to the 2008‐2013 activity at Halema`uma`u Crater, and talk about vog – how it forms and what they’ve learned about its effects on our island environment. An optional “gas-tasting” party follow the talk that begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
