Claims of human rights abuses in fleet ADVERTISING Claims of human rights abuses in fleet HONOLULU (AP) — A human rights complaint has been filed with an international commission to investigate claims of human rights violations in Hawaii’s commercial fishing
Claims of human rights abuses in fleet
HONOLULU (AP) — A human rights complaint has been filed with an international commission to investigate claims of human rights violations in Hawaii’s commercial fishing industry.
Turtle Island Restoration Network told The Associated Press on Wednesday that they filed the complaint last week with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. The filing asks the panel to determine the responsibility of the U.S. for human rights abuses against foreign workers in Hawaii’s longline fishing fleet.
An Associated Press investigation into the seafood industry revealed that hundreds of men are confined to Hawaii boats that operate due to a federal loophole that exempts the foreign fishermen from most basic labor protections.
Many come from impoverished Southeast Asian and Pacific nations to take the jobs, which can pay as little as 70 cents an hour.
The fleet catches $110 million worth of luxury seafood annually.
The petition, which the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery and Ocean Defenders Alliance joined, was filed July 13 with the agency that can make nonbinding recommendations to government officials and policymakers.
The Inter-American Human Rights Commission is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States, which works to protect human rights in the hemisphere. The U.S. is a member of that organization.
Investigations by DOE result in 5 terminations
HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Department of Education closed 11 employee misconduct investigations during the past three months, resulting in five terminations and one resignation.
The nature of the investigations is confidential because they involve protected personnel data.
However, most of the cases involved teachers accused of inappropriate physical or verbal conduct with students.
Investigators determined four of the 11 completed cases were unsubstantiated, and those employees returned to work, while another received a written reprimand.
As of June 30, there were 37 department employees on paid leave pending investigations.
That’s down from 63 pending cases at the end of 2014, when the Board of Education began scrutinizing the department’s handling of cases. The board, citing concerns over the cost of paid leave and the stigma for employees who might eventually be exonerated, called for quarterly progress updates.
State still owes $33M for failed interisland Superferry
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s interisland ferry was shut down eight years ago, but the state still owes $33 million for the costly failure.
The state auditor said Wednesday Hawaii still owes money to pay off the bonds that financed barges and ramps for the ferry.
The Hawaii Superferry ran from 2007 to 2009. It was shut down after a judge ruled the state broke the law by not completing required environmental reviews.
The report says Hawaii taxpayers will have paid nearly $63 million in principal and interest by 2028. It says the state’s total cost for the Superferry is $71 million, not including state salaries or attorney fees.
