At the IATTC Shark Stewards Director David McGuire addressed the forum on the plight of oceanic whitetip sharks and posed the solution offered by the Hawai’i Longline Association and Western and Central Pacific Fishing Commission’s move to swap out wire leaders for monofilament so that captured sharks can bite free, while the target species of swordfish and tuna are still retained.
Read MoreCelebrating AAPI Month by Demanding Change
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate our rich cultural heritage and contributions. However, it also provides an opportunity to address challenging topics within our communities. Rooted in culinary tradition, the shark fin trade is a particularly problematic practice that has had devastating impacts on shark populations and marine ecosystems.
Read MoreSupport the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary Designation
Papahānaumokuākea is a sacred place with deep cosmological significance to Native Hawaiians who have a genealogical relationship to all living things in the Hawaiian archipelago. The Monument is a mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Site. It preserves sacred places, stories, artifacts, and strong Polynesian cultural ties to the land and seas, dating back more than a thousand years.
Read MoreGear Changes in Pacific Fleet Shine Ray of Hope for Critically Endangered Sharks
An announcement in 2020 by the Hawaii Longline Association to ban the use of wire leaders in the tuna fleet’s fishing equipment paved the way to help save the imperiled oceanic whitetip shark from extinction.
Read MoreJudge Lifts Hawai’i Aquarium Fish Permit Ban
A Hawaiʻi Circuit Court judge lifted an injunction prohibiting the issuance of aquarium fish permits for the West Hawai‘i Regional Fishery Management Area today. However, this doesn’t mean that commercial aquarium fishing can immediately resume in West Hawaiʻi.
Read MoreCongress Passes Shark Fin Sales Ban, Forwards to President Biden
To help save sharks from extinction, the United States just moved one step closer to protecting them from the global shark fin trade.
On Thursday, the Senate approved language making the possession, sale and trade of shark fins illegal, with a few exceptions, and ban the trade of shark fins. The provision, HR 2811, which the House inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act and passed last week will go to President Biden for his signature.
Read MoreWhen the Wiliwili Blooms- Recent Hawai’i Shark Attacks
Two shark attacks in Hawaii leave tourists wondering is it safe to go in the water. “Pua ka wiliwili, nanahu ka manō” is a Hawaiian saying relating to the time in which the wiliwili tree flower is in bloom corresponds with an increased frequency of manō (sharks ) biting humans.
Read MoreProtecting Sharks and Plastic Free Parks
For over one thousand years the Hawaiian People, the Kanaka Maoli, were the original stewards of the Aina and Moana, the land and waters of Hawai’i and the connection between them. Removing plastic from this sacred place at Pu’ukohola Heiau will teach us to rebuild reverence among park and beach visitors and help lead the Plastic Free Parks movement.
Through beach cleanups and direct engagement with the community, we have an opportunity to teach youth and to connect to native cultures and help restore the health of the land and the ocean. Through honoring the legacy of indigenous stewardship and joining our efforts we will ensure that generations to come will inherit a just, healthier, and more sustainable future.
Read MoreSupport Marine National Monuments
In an Executive Order dated January 21, 2021, President Biden announced his administration would review the monument’s status including the Bears Ears of Utah and the NE Atlantic Marine National Monument. Included in this review will be the Trump Administrations proposal to allow commercial fishing in the Pacific Island protected areas in the the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and the Pacific Remote Islands.
Read More