07-23-2018, 08:38 AM
In a sense it is welcome that people of Native Hawaiian background might have some basis to challenge NOAA rules on harassing marine mammals or endangered marine species under their defense of indigenous rights (e.g. some far north tribal peoples legally hunt whale).
Because no one else has a chance agains NOAA--one of the more imperious federal agencies there is.
Paddling a kayak half mile off shore and see a whale and take a few strokes toward it? Guilty of a major federal violation that could cost you thousands.
And several researchers trying film a pack of sharks feeding on a dying whale ended up pulling back because of concerns they were violating federal law.
These are just anecdotes (not going to cite links), but it is clear that NOAA nationwide is ramping up enforcement, in spite of evidence that humpback whales' populations are rising.
http://us.whales.org/blog/2017/02/humpba...extinction
And check out the IUCN listing. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/13006/0 We can call this an inconvenient truth for humpback whale conservationists.
We see more whales around Hawaii each year; that means more ship, kayak, surfer to whale encounters. And much more potential for NOAA citations.
Prediction: It is going to get worse with monk seals. These mammals, barely present in the main islands 40 years ago, are now proliferating. There is a claim the population is not doing well overall, but there is much evidence the population in the main islands is rising. More beaches closed. Sometimes the seals bite and harass people.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/11718...-off-kauai
More potential for NOAA prosecutions in human-seal interactions that Hawaii will increasingly see in coming years....
NOAA and other marine life conservationists do good work in matters like protecting Kona's sleeping dolphins from bothersome snorkelers. But these officials and allied protectors have too much power and are prone to using it imperiously.
And they seem to want to deny the basic science fact that many populations like turtles and humpback whales have rebounded well. Influence of animal rights activists?
Because no one else has a chance agains NOAA--one of the more imperious federal agencies there is.
Paddling a kayak half mile off shore and see a whale and take a few strokes toward it? Guilty of a major federal violation that could cost you thousands.
And several researchers trying film a pack of sharks feeding on a dying whale ended up pulling back because of concerns they were violating federal law.
These are just anecdotes (not going to cite links), but it is clear that NOAA nationwide is ramping up enforcement, in spite of evidence that humpback whales' populations are rising.
http://us.whales.org/blog/2017/02/humpba...extinction
And check out the IUCN listing. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/13006/0 We can call this an inconvenient truth for humpback whale conservationists.
We see more whales around Hawaii each year; that means more ship, kayak, surfer to whale encounters. And much more potential for NOAA citations.
Prediction: It is going to get worse with monk seals. These mammals, barely present in the main islands 40 years ago, are now proliferating. There is a claim the population is not doing well overall, but there is much evidence the population in the main islands is rising. More beaches closed. Sometimes the seals bite and harass people.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/11718...-off-kauai
More potential for NOAA prosecutions in human-seal interactions that Hawaii will increasingly see in coming years....
NOAA and other marine life conservationists do good work in matters like protecting Kona's sleeping dolphins from bothersome snorkelers. But these officials and allied protectors have too much power and are prone to using it imperiously.
And they seem to want to deny the basic science fact that many populations like turtles and humpback whales have rebounded well. Influence of animal rights activists?