HONOLULU (AP) — Frustration over illegal fishing is growing in an Oahu community, and some residents are complaining and stepping up their own efforts to help stop the issue.
HONOLULU (AP) — Frustration over illegal fishing is growing in an Oahu community, and some residents are complaining and stepping up their own efforts to help stop the issue.
In response to the complaints, state wildlife authorities checked out suspicious catches last week at Kaiona Beach Park. Honolulu police say they cited a man Thursday for illegal fishing after he was found to have caught 17 undersized kala.
A Department of Land and Natural Resources officer issued a citation the following evening to a different fisherman for undersized uhu, Hawaii News Now reported.
Residents who are concerned about overharvesting say they’re alerting others through social media, including Facebook Live broadcasts, to publicize the busts.
“The depletion of our area’s resources is of a great magnitude,” said Waimanalo advocate Kukana Kama-Toth.
The state has 36 Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers on Oahu who are charged with making sure laws are being followed.
“To protect all of this mountain range, and 3 miles out to the ocean, is just crazy and beyond me,” Kama-Toth said. “How can 36 state officers take care of that much resources? They can’t.”
Residents are hoping to find a solution to ensure an adequate food supply for future generations.