Kaʻū News Briefs, Friday, Jan. 26, 2023

A young honu, sea turtle, dead and decomposing in an abandoned fishing net on the Kaʻū Coast. Photo from James Akau                   

James Akau and Jackie Ka'ili'awa with an abandoned
 net they found on the Kaʻū Coast containing a dead honu.
Photo by Nathan Bears

A TURTLE DEAD, ENTANGLED IN AN ABANDONED NET ON KAʻŪ COAST is recent evidence that abandoned fishing nets kill honu. The mess was found recently by fishermen Jackie Ka'ili'awa, Jame Akau and Nathan Bears. The young turtle was dead and decomposed in a net found along the Ka'u shore, with other marine life caught in the tangle. 

    Sea turtles are endangered and protected under federal and state law. Under state regulations, it is unlawful to leave a lay net unattended for more than a half hour. Lay nets and gill nets must be inspected completely within two hours after the beginning of the set. All threatened, endangered, prohibited, or unwanted species must be released. 

    It is unlawful to discard, abandon, or leave any lay net, or peice of a net in the water for longer than four hours. Lay nets are illegal to use from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise. Drift gill nets are prohibited in Hawaiian waters.
    When finding an entangled marine animal in a net, call U.S. Fish & Wildlife's Marine Animal Response Hotline at 888-256-9840.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FUNDING will go into environmental restoration and protection in Hawai'i. including projects on this island. U.S. Congressman Ed Case announced on Thursday that $10 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Defense will implement four natural resource conservation projects under DOD’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program. The funds will be matched with $18.5 million in private partner contributions to work towards improving coastal, forest and watershed resilience on military-utilized lands and nearby communities. “Our military’s operations in Hawai‘i are critical to our country’s national security and a major contributor to our local economy, but require a constant commitment to full partnership in our present and future and full stewardship of our communities and resources,” said Case. "The REPI program is a key avenue for our military to fulfill this commitment.

Sec. of the Army Christine Wormuth, center, with Ed
Case, right) visit the greenhouse at Pohakuloa. 
Photo by Tiffany DeMasters/Big Island Now

    Case recently accompanied Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth at Pōhakuloa Training Area to view the Army’s REPI-funded conservation efforts to protect and recover native Hawaiian plants and animals, including Hawai'i's state bird, the nēnē goose, and several endangered endemic plants, all located on the military’s owned and leased lands. It's part of the military's REPI work with state and local governments, conservation organizations and willing private landowners to implement compatible uses of lands for both the military mission and conservation. Case said the unique partnerships and funding opportunities for natural resources protection have made REPI a main focus for him in his role as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. For the current Fiscal Year, Case helped secure $175 million for the national REPI program.
    DOD REPI awards this year in Hawai‘i: $1.3 million to mitigate impacts on rare plants on Hawai‘i Island, supported by $1.3 million in partner contributions; $3.1 million for detection and management of land and waterbased invasive species near military installations on Hawai'i, Kaua‘i and O‘ahu Islands, supported by $5.6 million in partner contributions; $2.9 million to increase the resilience of endangered wildlife on Lāna‘i Island, supported by $4.8 million in partner contributions; $2.7 million to preserve threatened and endangered species and enhance watersheds on O‘ahu Island, supported by $6.8 million in partner contributions.
   Since 2021, the REPI program in Hawai‘i has matched $30.2 million in federal funding and $35.2 million in partner contributions for projects at eight locations restoring critical habitats and native forests, protecting island aquifers, climate adaptation efforts, and promoting compatible land uses.

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The mahiole stolen from
Volcano House lobby. 
Photo from NPS

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVESTIGATORS continue to seek the public's help in identifying a person of interest wanted for questioning in the theft of Hawaiian cultural artwork from a hotel located in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. On Friday, Jan. 13 around 11:45 p.m., a contemporary replica of a mahiole - the traditional Hawaiian feather helmet - was stolen from the Volcano House hotel. An image from a hotel surveillance camera shows a man carrying a large item beneath a red cloth in front of the hotel's front desk. The person of interest appears to be a man wearing a dark ball cap and bandana face covering.
    According to NPS, a woman seen in a separate surveillance image reached out to investigators and is no longer a person of interest.
    The stolen mahiole was created by renowned local artist Rick San Nicolas, who sold it to the hotel several years ago. Traditional mahiole were worn by high-ranking Hawaiian chiefs and painstakingly crafted using feathers and native fibers such as the roots of the 'ie'ie vine. It was displayed in a clear case near the hotel's front desk and featured brightly dyed crimson and yellow goose feathers.
    Anyone with information can  contact the National Park Service by calling or texting 888-653-0009. Tips can also be submitted online at https://go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or via email at nps_isb@nps.gov.

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KAʻŪ TROJANS BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM heads to Honoka'a on Monday, Jan. 30 for a chance to make the finals in Big Island Interscholastic Federation championships. Coach Troy Gacayan said the Trojans will play the Dragons in the semifinals. If Kaʻū wins, the Trojans will advance to the Division II Chamipionship Game on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at the Hilo Civic.
    "If you are able to, please say a prayer and come out to cheer and support our Kaʻū Trojans," said the coach. Thank you all for your continued support!
    "Go Trojans! Let's make history. Play hard, stay humble," Gacayan told the team.

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FREE FOOD
St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day, according to OKK President Wayne Kawachi.

OUTDOOR MARKETS
Volcano Evening Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See facebook.com.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music.

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

'O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in the upper lot only. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.