551 dead yellow tang

[dmbwest]

JWFITZ,

Are you able to elaborate on the "alternatives" here ?

Just wondering.

Thanks.
aloha,
pog

[JWFITZ]

Well, sure, thanks for asking.

Let's be clear, first of all. The only reason we care about 500 fish is that they're so few of them. The reefs are failing not because of overfishing, nor because of people collecting fish for aquariums. That's completely small potatoes. The reefs are dying for large scale systematic reasons. 1) Shoreline Development 2) Poor Ag practices 3) Temperature increases and increased oceanic acidity caused by every increasing CO2 levels. These are the issues that our killing the reefs--the fishermen at this point are largely scapegoats. If the reefs were systematically healthy they could take significant fishing pressure. They aren't. That's NOT the fault of fishermen, that's the fault of the habits of society as a whole and its rabid consumptionist ways. But since we are not willing to in any meaningful way address the reasons that reefs are dying, at least yet, and probably not soon enough, still a heavier hand in regulation in terms of fishing pressure can at least string out the terminal condition a few years. Is it worth it? Probably not, except that an attempt to do so will create a public debate and hopefully wake a few people up. Maybe that's good. It's a dangerous game as fishing is a very important part of local tradition here, even if one can't really catch much, and such an action will look very much like outsiders coming in, screwing things up, and then taking away what was once someone else's rights. And they'd be completely justified in such a view, because that's exactly what has happened.

Anyway, alternatives? Alternatives in this context must address viable business plans and lifestyles that are capable of providing a reasonable standard of living and still operate in a sustainable fashion, not creating a net societal or ecological deficit. I use the term in a strict sense--as an empirical metric--not in the loose feel good "green" sort of way others might. These lifestyles and businesses must be primary producers of value and carbon neutral operations. That can indeed be done. I'll be putting together a bit of a presentation on my own agricultural projects here in the next couple of months. Such projects meet all the criteria of "not killing reefs." All in all these are practical issues rather than ideological ones--and such lifestyles are completely achievable for anyone who's willing to significantly cut back on their lifestyle demands. A lot of people aren't willing to do that, I understand, and the choice at its core to care is always a moral one.

While we only see business as usual the reefs are toast. To save the reefs will not only require telling fishermen not to fish, but builders not to build, farmers not to farm, and consumers not to consumers not to consume. Or at least we'll all be required to do all those things in a very different manner and being held to a very different standard. We're a very long way from that. Until we as a culture value our reefs enough to educate ourselves about why they're dying and make personal sacrifices so as to protect them, well, that's it.


A bit of a rambling answer, but I've got a lot to do this morning. If there's interest, I'll follow up with more.

http://sensiblesimplicity.lefora.com/

[mella l]

DLNR is a relatively useless organization

I concur, yet those conferences/vacations to exotic locals to study the brown tree snake continue, year after year.

mella l

Paris London New York PUNA

[centipede]

I saw the article, and I almost cried at the outrage of it all. Some people are scum, and whatever law that could be imposed upon anyone caught doing such a thing is insufficient.

[Devany]

Mella how can you base your views upon an entire organization of dedicated DNR people just because you feel what they are doing regarding the brown tree snake is the wrong thing? That snake is a huge invasive species that will come to this island if it is not already here. Come on. The field workers in the DNR are amazing. Have you ever met one? They are always willing to help and educate. And they are the only real force to protect what we have here. I say they are heroes not the enemy. Maybe you need to remove the Paris, London and New York part of your tag line and just be local.

Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany

www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com

[dmbwest]

2nd that ... Forget about the Management for a sec ... Good people are out there in the field.

aloha,
pog

[Rob Tucker]

Perhaps someone who knows more than I can point out one thing that DLNR has accomplished or at least done well. Or even better point out two things where they have merited their budget.

[JWFITZ]

Not to be snide but in all honesty the DNLR more than earns its keep in the mind of some by turning a mostly blind eye to the damages caused by development interests. Their job, explicitly, is to look at problems and not see them. That provides a huge service to many, but not the one they're chartered to do. . .

http://sensiblesimplicity.lefora.com/

[JWFITZ]

Excellent analysis on the nature of the problem and information, for those interested.

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northa...s3661.html

http://sensiblesimplicity.lefora.com/

[Rob Tucker]

Here's a timely article on DLNR's meeting with selected members of the community to discuss the Kailua-Kona Pier.
Press and general public not invited. Apparently there is a fear that "people may speak more flamboyantly" if the press is allowed. I wonder what that might mean? Speaking flamboyantly? Perhaps they are just weary of being yelled at in public.

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/arti...ocal05.txt