July 6, 2026 Hawaii Newsletter
Subject: Aloha- Celebrating and Acting to Protect Hawai’i Coral and Sharks
Aloha,
Please join us celebrating sharks and ocean protection at our 5th Annual Kona Ocean Day in Kailua-Kona. Ocean films, education and community- working to benefit youth and Hawai’i coral conservation.
A benefit for the ReefTeach program at Kanhalu’u Bay and defending the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Join our education partners sharing ocean knowledge with local non-profits in the lobby, and talk story with local Kahuna after the show.
July 11, 3:00-6:30pm at the Hualalai Theater, Kona Elks Lodge.
Lobby Opens at 3:00pm, show begins 4:00 pm.
Ocean photo show by Deron Verbeck and great raffle prizes including a 36×48″print of two sharks on metal (masthead image)! Tickets $10, kids free!
Trump Gives Green Light to Fish Sacred Waters of Hawai’i
On March 30, 2026, Trump’s Executive Order 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” directed the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) to submit a plan to open the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Sanctuary to commercial fishing. The Marianas Island and Rose Atoll National Marine Monuments are also under scrutiny in this directive.
This violation of several federal laws follows an earlier proclamation to fish the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) in 2025. This move was blocked by a federal judge in Hawai’i, but not before that Monument was opened to commercial fishing. Help stop thuis before it begins in Hawaiian waters!
Shark Stewards has submitted letters and comments to NOAA and WESPAC, and with other NGOs, we are investigating legal pathways to protect these sacred islands and waters.
Papahānaumokuākea: Protect -Respect-Conserve
Located in in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, the Executive Order by President Trump threatens to destroy one of the world’s healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the world. Commercial fishing in the Papahānaumokuākea Sanctuary and Monument will kill large numbers of sharks, sea turtles, fish and other marine life as focused catch and unintended bycatch. Show your opposition by attending one of our events, supporting our local partners, signing the petition. Oder a special edition Respect – Protect- Conserve special edition T shirt and help maintain the current protective status of this Marine National Monument and Sanctuary.
Celebrating Asian Pacific Islander Month in June with our NOAA Youth Ambassador and junior scientist Hailin Gugelmann. A Berkeley high school student, Hailin is a shark educator, and assisting on our Aquatic Park research project. Read his blog on shark fin soup, and why Hailin works to save sharks.
Please Support Endangered Sharks and Rays, Marine Sanctuaries, Monuments, and Community Engagement to Protect Ocean Health
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