Hunting & Fishing

My Support for Moʻomomi CBSFA

Sunday, August 23rd, 2020

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed below, though written by a part owner of The Molokai Dispatch, are his personally, and are not representative of The Molokai Dispatch as a newspaper.

Opinion by Todd Yamashita

Aloha friends, Iʻm reaching out to you right now not as a publisher but as a member of our community – one who cares about the future of our community as much as you surely do.

Sailing on Hokulea, removing thousands of pounds of plastic from the Pacific gyre, volunteering in the fishponds of Molokai, and cleaning our beaches daily with family and friends – my life in conservation comes from the hope my boys will inherit a Molokai like mine: rich in marine resources, and rich in culture.…

Why Hunt in Residential Areas?

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

Why? They say if you have to ask the question, you don’t know the answer. And so I ask this question because I am looking for enlightenment, education and answers. I don’t want excuses. Excuses are tiresome. I simply want to know why.

Why do some feel the need to hunt in residential areas, so close to houses, close to where children are playing, close to where people are enjoying the outdoors? Why do some feel the need to hunt so close to houses that they risk harming others?

Why did someone feel the need to shoot a majestic buck, behead him, and leave his en-tire body to rot in someones yard?…

CBSFA a Step Toward Hawaiian Self-Governance

Thursday, August 13th, 2020

Aloha kakou. I am Davianna McGregor, professor of Ethnic Studies and director of the Center for Oral History at UH-Manoa. I live in Hoʻolehua with my life partner, Dr. Aluli.

Recently, some of our neighbors put up signs saying that I should be shame for supporting the Moʻomomi Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA).

Actually, Dr. Aluli and I are proud that for the past 25-plus years, we’ve been part of the Hui Mālama O Moʻomomi team to establish a CBSFA from ʻIliʻo Point to Nihoa.

Why do we support? Well, it was our Hoʻolehua Hawaiian Homestead community, not DLNR, that created the CBSFA designation.…

CBSFA Follows ‘Ike Kupuna

Thursday, August 13th, 2020

Opinion by Keani Rawlins-Fernandez

The highly anticipated Board of Land and Natural Resources public hearing on the Mo‘omomi CBSFA will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 5:30pm. Due to COVID-19, the hearing will be livestreamed. Testimony may be provided online or in-person with advanced registration.

What is a CBSFA? A Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area designation is a type of fishing management area that encourages continued subsistence, and in Mo‘omomi’s case, would prohibit commercial fishing, except for trolling, within its boundaries. CBSFAs are not marine sanctuaries. It would not create “no-take zones,” like Hanauma Bay.

The Mo‘omomi CBSFA would not limit or prohibit anyone’s right to gather and feed their families: “§13-60.9-1(3) Recognize and protect customary and traditional native Hawaiian fishing practices that are exercised for subsistence, cultural, and religious purposes in the area.…

Mo’omomi CBSFA Public Hearing

Thursday, August 13th, 2020

DLNR News Release

Stakeholders are strongly encouraged to participate online for a statewide, online public hearing on the proposed adoption of new rules to establish the Moʻomomi Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) on Molokai’s northwestern coast. The goal of the CBSFA is to establish a marine managed area to maintain sustainable long-term harvest of key subsistence fish stocks and to reaffirm traditional and customary native Hawaiian subsistence fishing practices.

Brian Neilson, Administrator of the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) said, “This innovative option of an online hearing, especially with the spike in coronavirus infections, provides a safe and appropriate physical distancing for DLNR/DAR to hear from everyone regarding these important nearshore marine resources.…

Hunting or Killing?

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

Definitions of hunting can include the activity of pursuing wild game for sport and food harvest. I grew up in a hunting family. For me, hunting is filled with anticipation, excitement and challenge, plus the possibility of eating the best healthiest meat on Earth. Hunting, for me, is not only about the harvest. I also enjoy observing wildlife in their natural habitat. Having starlight scope has helped me scored my hunts. My son and I have often sat together for hours watching deer, goats or pigs enjoying life in their natural environment.

The harvest of wild game is often a way of life and subsistence for many local Molokai residents.…

Taking Aim at Molokai Archery Tournament

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018

Taking Aim at Molokai Archery Tournament

 

Molokai Bowhunters Archery Club hit its mark last Saturday as members hosted their 20th annual state tournament at the Kalae Bow Range. The event attracts more than 50 shooters from around the state and mainland each year.

The range consists of more than 10 acres of wooded, hilly terrain, with trails leading to marked targets of varying distances. Shooters compete in a variety of categories based on their bow type, such as freestyle, traditional or bowhunter. It’s an activity for all ages — one of the day’s youngest shooters was 4 years old, while the master seniors category featured archers age 70 and up.…

Two More Monk Seals Dead

Wednesday, August 1st, 2018

 

The deaths of two young male Hawaiian monk seals on Molokai in June are being investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This comes after a young female was killed at Mo’omomi in May, with injuries showing human-inflicted trauma as the cause of her death. 

An unidentified juvenile male was found dead at  Paka’a beach on Molokai’s west end on June 25. The other young male, identified as RJ26, was born at Kalaupapa last year and found dead on June 18 on the east end near mile marker 22. NOAA’s Jolene Lau said no other details could be released at this time, pending the investigation.…

Drawing a Seabird Map

Wednesday, July 11th, 2018

Drawing a Seabird Map

 

Molokai’s high elevation forests are full of secrets, surprises and rare, native species. Thought to be extinct on Molokai until recently, the endangered Newell’s shearwater, or ‘A’o, is a seabird that may also nest deep in the shelter of Molokai’s forest.

Right now, though, no one knows for sure.

Molokai is home to many native and endangered seabird species but biologists aren’t sure how many or where many of them are nesting. A new mapping project seeks to shed light on the state’s seabird population and represents the first comprehensive survey of Hawaii seabirds to date. Anticipated to last three years, the project is kicking off on Molokai this summer.…

Monk Seal Killed at Mo’omomi

Wednesday, June 20th, 2018

Monk Seal Killed at Mo’omomi

Last month, a young female Hawaiian monk seal was killed at Kawa’aloa Bay at  Mo’omomi, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The yearling seal, identified as RJ42, was found dead by community members on May 31. An investigation is underway so details of the cause of death cannot be released, but a post-mortem examination conducted by NOAA on June 1 indicated it was an intentional act.

“[The] injuries were purposely inflicted by a person(s) that caused a significant amount of trauma resulting in the monk seal’s death,” a NOAA statement said.

This is the sixth suspected monk seal killing on Molokai, and third at Mo’omomi, since 2009, according to NOAA.…