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As part of ongoing efforts to protect endangered Hawaiian monk seals, federal officials are turning to old Hawaiian chants and songs. The purpose: to battle misperceptions that the Hawaiian monk seal is an invasive species that does not deserve protection.

“This ain’t the mongoose; this animal was here before any of us,” says David Schofield, Monk Seal Coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The problem, however, is to document the animal’s presence here.  To that end, NOAA is working with Hawaiian cultural experts to find references to the monk seal in traditional oli and mele.  NOAA also is asking people to ask kupuna if they know of any old stories involving the sea mammals. The point, Schofield says, is not to invent tall tales about seals, but document the animals’ presence through oral histories and other documents. 

For instance, Schofield says, volunteers interested in helping might research archives, such as the Bishop Museum, to find old references to the animals.

This research is just a small piece of what NOAA is trying to do to help the seals. The agency is charged with protecting beached seals, rescuing animals that have been hooked or entangled in fishing nets, counting seals, relocating animals that become too habituated to people, and informing the public about the animals. Part of this public outreach campaign lately has involved dealing with a growing rumor: that monk seals are not from here.  This ugly rumor has led some people to refuse to give monk seals the deference the animals deserve when it comes to sharing the water. And that’s a problem.

Known in Hawaiian as ‘Ilio holo I ka uaua, or the dog that runs in rough water, the Hawaiian monk seal has been recorded in the islands as far back as the 19th century.

From Alana:

Following last night’s passionate hearing regarding the proposed Mauna Kea Thirty-meter telescope, a letter to the editor to was sent to The Star Bulletin strongly opposing the telescope. The letter details the long history of cheating and cutting corners, in terms of environmental and cultural laws, that Mauna Kea developers have had.

Testifiers at last week’s Hilo EIS meeting revealed that the EIS presented a lesser number of telescopes in the science reserve than in previous documents — by changing how they’re counted. Did this new counting strategy intend to leave the impression the TMT would fit within the “11 major telescope” limit mandated in the 1985 management plan approved by Board of Land and Natural Resources? The land board established that limit specifically to prevent astronomy interests from “taking over” the mountaintop. One person at the Hilo meeting counted, in front of everyone, 21 domes or antennas already on the mountain.

UH claims to have changed, and that its building practices will be better, but there is nothing in their plan that can attest to that claim– especially in a plan that blatantly lies about the number of telescopes on Mauna Kea. 

For the whole letter, written by Catherine Robbins (Volcano, HI) click here. 

From Melissa:

Walking into the Farrington High School cafeteria for the Mauna Kea Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) hearing for the draft EIS, was like walking into a world of glossy posters and seductive color schemes. TMT staff were present in great numbers, anxiously awaiting questions from the community. More of a sales pitch at the beginning than a hearing, the TMT guys tried to entice the crowd with turkey rolls, brownie bites and promises of community benefit and higher education packages that sound more beneficial to the community than what they really offer.

From cultural education programs for the employees of TMT to a zero discharge wastewater plan for the facility, the mitigation measures brought forth did not seem to address the legitimate concerns of the Hawaiian people. Mitigation measures for the decimation of a cultural site of extreme importance, not to mention the irreparable damage the TMT would cause to the environment, were not attended to because these two issues are inevitable and irreversible.

The oral testimonies given were fairly balanced between support and opposition. Those in favor of the TMT went first, followed by those in opposition. TMT supporters mainly argued that the monetary packages offered to the community would be a godsend, and that Hawaii should be on the forefront of astronomical advances.

Our Program Director, Marti (who blew us away) and those in opposition brought up several interesting and valid points. The main issues brought up were that a federal EIS is required because TMT is funded by federal money, a permit for TMT will not be issued as it is in a conservation district, TMT doesn’t show a comprehensive management plan, the Board of Land and Natural Resources should be reviewing the EIS because TMT would be in a conservation district, students shouldn’t have to give up a cultural site just to receive chump change (education package), and the fact that the site has great environmental and cultural significance.

Overall, the hearing was informative, and those in opposition got to voice their opinion to the people that are carrying out the project, who are fully aware their work will devastate the land and decimate a culturally significant site. Whether or not TMT will actually be built is not yet known (our fingers crossed are it will fall through).

To learn more about this issue please visit the following site:

KAHEA: Mauna Kea

If you wish to voice your opinion, please click on the following link to submit testimony:

Defend Mauna Kea’s Last Pristine Plateau

From Melissa:

A peaceful protest to return ceded land back to the community of Waimanalo will be held on Saturday, June 27 at 9:00 am – 1:00pm at Tinker Road on Kalanianaole Hwy in Waimanalo. A particular parcel of ceded land was returned to the Native Hawaiian community and then taken back by the military in 2002. The Waimanalo community was blindsided by the loss of access to this parcel of land when the military began fencing it off.

Go out and support the Waimanalo community for a day of protest and unity!

From:  Andrea

Good news:  bioprospecting is now prohibited in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument!

KAHEA has been pushing for this prohibition from the beginning of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands’ protection.  State permits have prohibited bioprospecting for some time.  But, with only permits issued in the state refuge prohibiting bioprospecting, the entire Monument was not protected.

But, now, the federal co-trustees are prohibiting bioprospecting, too.  KAHEA’s victory is evident in the Final Monument Management Plan where the prohibition on bioprospecting is required on all permits issued in the Monument.

Prohibiting bioprospecting in this irreplacable locale is necessary to protect fully the Monument and its cultural and natural resources.  Bioprospecting, essentially, entails the search for new chemical compounds, genes, and their products in living things that will have value to people, often through development of marketable commodities like pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Thanks to the prohibition, our public trust resources are prioritized for their conservation, not their profitability.  No opportunity to plunder for profit in the Monument- at least not legally.

Commenting on the Draft Science Plan, KAHEA continues to urge for responsible science in the Monument.  To learn more about responsible science:

http://www.kahea.org/more.php?id=451_0_3_0_C

From:  Andrea

The article says Hawaiians are shrugging off the North Korean missile threat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/us/23hawaii.html?ref=americas

After all, Hawaiians are accustomed to the various threats and dangers of inhabiting the Planet’s most isolated archipelago. We are out here far from quick and convenient aid from the mainland.

But, perhaps, this threat should be an opportunity to reconsider how secure and independent Hawaii truly is, out here in the middle of the Pacific.  While it may not be time to start worrying about missiles and the universe of possible terroristic threats, which may be unstoppable on a community level, the time is ripe to consider security the people of Hawaii can control.

For instance, food security is something as tangible as dirt in your hands and food in your belly.  Obvious to everyone who buys groceries around here, a huge amount of food sold in stores is imported, reflected by the price.  The exact percentage of imported food may be debatable, but the need for more food production here in Hawaii is undebatable.

What’s an easy way to improve food security here in Hawaii?  Support local farmers markets!  For instance:

Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market

4303 Diamond Head Road
Honolulu, HI 96805

Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

For more info, see:

http://www.yelp.com/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hfbf.org%2FFarmersMarketKCC.html&src_bizid=C8YdYCAIXm0YhevbXuDqzA

From Alana:

This BBC News video shows how the growing demand for fish in places like inland China is putting a huge stress on coral reefs. Most adult fish have been caught, so the majority of fish sold in markets are juveniles that have not had a chance to reproduce yet. Because of this trend there has been a downward spiral in fish populations and reef health worldwide.

The world needs stricter fishing regulations ASAP, and if that doesn’t happen we will probably see the  collapse of entire ocean ecosystems in our lifetimes.