Kanu Kipi Haloa

Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

2008-07-30T10:02:00.011-10:00

Growing up in Hawai'i I've known that turtles are special and endangered; but that's about all I knew. This summer I've had the privilege to work with the Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project that works in partnership with NOAA and Hawai'i's Volcano's National Parks. There is so much more to know about the honu and the challenges they face.

There are seven species of marine turtles and all of them are listed as endangered in different world waters. Here in Hawai'i the Hawksbill Turtle is listed as such.

Nesting: Hawksbills only come on shore to nest. They also nest solely at night. It takes a Hawksbill 15-20 years to sexual maturity, thus determining population growth rates is difficult. A female Hawksbill can lay 5-6 nests per laying season and 150-200 eggs per nest chamber. At Kahamehame Beach, where I helped to moniter, there has been 30-40 nests documented at one time. Even with these hopeful numbers it is projected that only 1 in 10,000 turtle hatchlings survive. For the Hawaiian Hawksbill there are less than 100 tagged adults.

Threats: What are some of the threats that turtles, the Hawksbill in particular, face?

Hawksbills rely on coral reef communities for food and habitat. They use their beak shaped mouths to eat sponges. With the continued destruction and decline in healthy coral reef the Hawksbill turtle is finding it increasingly difficult to find sufficient food. Human activity is the main cause of coral reef destruction. Entire coral communities can and have been killed off by pollution (e.g. toxic spills). This habitat loss is now the primary global threat to these turtles.

These turtles are not only threatened by habitat loss but also by direct hunting and harvesting. Eventhough this turtle is protected in most waters the commercial exploitation of the Hawksbill is still a major threat. In some parts of the world, Cuba, the Turks, and British Virgin Islands, legal harvesting of eggs and hunting of adults are still legal in some form. The tourist industry gives high demand for curios made from Hawksbill shell, eggs, etc. to make jewelry, cosmetics and other souvenirs. At times whole turtles are stuffed ans sold in the tourist trade.

How to make a difference: The first and easiest method is to spread the word of how seriously jeopardized these turtles are. The public can do simple things to make survival of the Hawksbill a little less challenging. When a turtle is on the beach, the best thing to do is to leave it in peace. When camping or hiking through nesting beaches be cautious of where potential nests could be. Hawksbills navigate by starlight and sunlight. They often confuse streetlamps and other lanterns as starlight. So instead of heading back to the shoreline these turtles have been seen stranded in a parking lot under a street lamp, wondering where their ocean is. So if you're camping in nesting areas or see people who are, a kindly reminder to dim their lights would be a great help to the turtles.

Another major help to the Hawksbill is to not participate in the commercial trade of them. If the market for Hawksbill made cosmetics, hair clips, jewelry and similar trinkets goes down or disappears, who knows, maybe the survival rate of these turtles will be 1000 in 10,000 instead of just one.

Kokua Haloa!

2008-07-29T17:57:00.000-10:00

East Maui Taro Farmers exercise their right to continue farming taro Enclosed is a statement I drafted for Na Moku Aupuni O Ko`olau Hui, stating its position in reaction to the independent actions that Wailuanui taro farmers took to save their dying taro in Wailuanui Valley. On a long-delayed site visit to inspect diversions on Wailuanui Stream last July 11, they witnessed the taking of water from Wailuanui Stream which was the same water that could irrigate their lo`i downstream. When the BLNR field monitor hesitated in taking action to release the water back into the stream, after witnessing the effects on the taro below (with cracked ground so dry from the ongoing drought), and began deferring to the state's "existing relationship with East Maui Iriigation Company, a subsidiary of Alexander and Baldwin, Day and Martin released water by lifting the EMI gates blocking flow in the stream. The resulting restored flow has bee supplying these farmers with significant increases in irrigation water they never had for decades. Since July 11, these farmers have demanded that Garrett Hew of EMI keep them from diverting water into the EMI ditch system. Instead, Hew has sent crews to close the gates each day. Undaunted, the taro farmers have been opening these gates every day after EMI crews leave. The DLNR monitor refuses to take affirmative action in support of the taro farmers, deferring instead to the deputy AG assigned to represent the DLNR, Linda Chow. She, in turn, has not responded to my repeated attempts to meet to discuss the situation and deal with the growing conflict so we can avoid any heavy-handed action by the state in support of the illegal diversions by EMI. The DLNR's problem is that it has very little legal basis for continuing the diversion in the face of its 7-year delay in taking affirmative action to address the IMMEDIATE water needs of these East Maui taro farmers and subsistence gatherers, as well as: (1) the Circuit Court's invalidation of the BLNR's attempt to issue a 30-year lease to A&B/EMI; (2) Na Moku's pending contested case hearing challenging the issuance of annual revocable permits to A&B/EMI; and (3) EMI's and DLNR's reliance on so-called "holdover" permits to continue the diversions while the contested case is pending, when neither statute or rule allows such a permit. Please let the members in your network know what is occurring. I thought they should know, especially if the DLNR starts considering taking any actions against the farmers, at which time we'll seek broader support for the farmers.

COME OUT AND HELP YOUR COMMUNITY

2008-06-08T21:24:00.001-10:00

WE WILL BE HELPING PREPARE LAND TO BEGIN A MALA 'AI AT KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS CAMPUS KEA'AU.

DATE: THURSDAY JUNE 12, 2008

8AM

***PLEASE STAY CHECK BLOG DAILY FOR MORE INFORMATION***

STOPPING STRAWBERRY GUAVA FROM SPREAD

2008-05-30T11:33:00.002-10:00

Written by KGMB9 News - news@kgmb9.com
May 22, 2008 07:01 PM
It's a popular treat, but the strawberry-guava is actually an invasive species, and now scientists have a new plan to keep it from spreading.
The tree, from South America, was introduced here in 1825. But now scientists say the plant could invade nearly half the state, forming dense thickets that squeeze out native plants.
The U.S. Forest Service said a solution is the Tectococcus Ovatus or Brazilian Scale. The insect which doesn't exist in Hawaii now hatches on the leaves. It doesn't kill the tree but stops it from growing and producing fruit. They want to release it this summer in the Ola`a Forest Reserve on the Big Island.
The service said the insect only affects that specific tree. But critics worry it will kill other plants. And besides a lot of people like those strawberry guavas.
The state is taking comments on the plan to introduce the Tectococcus Ovatus.

Send in your opinions to:
Plant Quarantine Branch, Hawaii Department of of Agriculture
1849 Auiki St.
Honolulu 96819-3100

GREAT WORK AT KANOE'S AINA!

2008-05-30T10:59:00.003-10:00

MAHALO TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN CLEARING AND COLLECTING OF 'ULUHE. WE WILL BE WORKING MORE AT THAT AINA IN THE FUTURE SO PLEASE COME AND PARTICIPATE. FOR ALL WHO ARE FREE NEXT WEEK WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, WE WILL BE HELPING KIHEI WITH SOME FARMING.

MAHALO FOR THE CAR WASH

2008-05-27T12:49:00.003-10:00

GREAT JOB FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO CAME OUT TO SUPPORT KANU KIPI HALOA IN THEIR FIRST CAR WASH FUNDRAISER. WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO DIDNT MAKE IT TO ATTEND OTHER EVENTS. THE MORE PEOPLE THE MORE FUN AND THE FASTER THE JOB IS ACCOMPLISHED. SPECIAL MAHALO TO THE MACABIO OHANA FOR THE HELP.