Fishermen cited for illegal catches ADVERTISING Fishermen cited for illegal catches HONOLULU (AP) — Frustration about illegal fishing is growing in a Hawaii community, and some residents are complaining and stepping up their own efforts to help stop the issue.
Fishermen cited for illegal catches
HONOLULU (AP) — Frustration about illegal fishing is growing in a Hawaii 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 state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer issued a citation the following evening to a different fisherman for undersized uhu.
Residents who are concerned about overharvesting say they’re alerting others through social media to publicize the busts.
The state has 36 Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers on Oahu who are charged with making sure laws are being followed.
Residents are hoping to find a solution to ensure an adequate food supply for future generations.
Missile Defense Agency announces successful intercept
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Missile Defense Agency says it conducted a successful test from Alaska of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, part of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system.
A target in the form of an intermediate-range ballistic missile was air-launched Monday night by an Air Force C-17 over the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii.
The MDA says a THAAD weapon system at Kodiak, Alaska, detected, tracked and intercepted the target.
The test was the 14th successful intercept in 14 attempts for the THAAD weapon system.
The system can be rapidly deployed and is designed to intercept ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final phase of flight.
Hawaiian hoary bats confirmed on Kahoolawe
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — After years of speculation, wildlife officials confirmed the presence of an endangered bat subspecies on Kahoolawe.
The Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission used eight detectors to confirm the presence of the Hawaiian hoary bat on the island. Natural Resource Specialist James Bruch said the bat might be the only native land mammal visiting and possibly living on the island, which was formerly a Navy target.
The detectors picked up the first bat in June 2016. It detected a bat again in August and again in September and October, before dropping in December and January. There were no detections again until April, the report said.
Before this, Bruch said Hawaiian hoary bat sightings were reported, but could not be confirmed.
The bat has been seen on Maui, Hawaii, Molokai and Oahu but is suspected to live only on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s website.
The data suggests the bats travel to Kahoolawe and then return to their homes by nightfall, Bruch said. He thinks it might be possible that a small population has taken residence and that the bats might be using the island for breeding.
The commission is continuing to review the bat data and is hoping to acquire funding for more research.
