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HWF in the News

> July 20, 2010 - HWF helps create false killer whale protection
> June 19, 2010 - Volunteers help rebuild turtle fence
> June 12, 2010 - County must comply with EPA orders
> April 7, 2010 - The plight of the Hawaiian Monk Seal
> April 3, 2010 - HWF organizes 'More Fish in the Sea' festival
> March 18, 2010 - Program rescues stranded sea turtles
> Dec 18, 2009 - Get the drift - Beach cleanup mahalo
> Aug 13, 2009 - Teach Maui - enrichment program for children
> Aug 5, 2009 - HWF sea turtle rescue topic of online news video
> Feb 2009 - Animal Planet's Corwin signs MRF Diver's Pledge
> 2008 - HWF featured in 'Preserving Paradise' book
> 2007- HWF President named Conservationist of the Year

HWF helps create false killer whale protection plan

HWF President Hannah Bernard participated in a ground-breaking, consensus plan to reduce false killer whale bycatch by Hawaii's longline fleet.

July 20, 2010 - (AP) - HONOLULU — Fishermen who use longlines to catch ahi, mahimahi and other fish off Hawaii should use a different kind of hook so they don't accidentally severely injure or kill a rare dolphin species, a federal advisory group said.

Longline fleet captains should undergo training on how to release any mistakenly caught false killer whales in a way that minimizes the chance they'll be seriously harmed, the group told the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency responsible for regulating the fishery.

The agency had asked scientists, fishermen, conservationists and regulators to form the advisory group and make recommendations.
> Read entire Associated Press article online
> Read Press Release (PDF)

Volunteers help rebuild turtle fence near highway
Kanu's Live Aloha Day turtle fence repair project - click photo to enlarge
HWF staff and volunteers during the 'Kanu's Live Aloha Day' turtle fence repair project at Kihei, Maui, on June 19. >> PHOTO GALLERY

Summer is when sea turtles nest on Maui, so HWF volunteers worked together this June to repair a "turtle proof fence" at Kealia Pond which helps keep the turtles off the highway.

June 19, 2010 - In honor of "Kanu’s Live Aloha Day" today, HWF staff and volunteers worked together to protect nesting turtles by repairing the wooden fence that helps keep turtles off the road.

The event took place at the Kihei hawksbill nesting beach called Kealia or "Sugar Beach." This was a follow-up of the first major fence repair and trash clean-up conducted on May 30, in which 23 people participated.

Since HWF is still waiting for the completion of a more permanent fence made out of recycled plastic, the old wooden fence (initially installed in 1997 but in need of frequent repair) provides the only barrier stopping nesting turtles from wandering onto the dangerously nearby highway.

HWF's Project Leader Cheryl King: "Maintaining the wooden fence requires rolls and rolls of fencing, many posts, spools and spools of wire, whatever else we can find, and the energy of dedicated volunteers who realize the critical importance of the fence. It is now a solid turtle barrier and HWF asks for community assistance in keeping it that way. Mahalo!"

On Saturday, June 26, HWF is organizing another beach cleanup at Kealia with the South Maui Sustainability group, from 8 am to 10 am. For more information, contact Cheryl King at (808) 385-5464 or Angie Hofmann at (808) 357-3134.
> Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project
> View Photos    > Watch Video

Viewpoint: County must comply with EPA orders
Copyright © 2010 Maui News.
[Note: The following editorial was written by Teri Leonard from the DIRE Coalition, a Maui conservation group co-founded by HWF.]
June 12, 2010 - It is another beautiful and sparkling Maui morning. The Maui NewsThis is a perfect day to take in a swim along the shoreline, catch a wave, snorkel or scuba out to the reef, clean the bottom of the boat, go fishing for dinner or just take the family to the beach and watch the children frolic in the gentle waves. But how safe is that water?

The Maui News June 6 article "EPA orders county to test isle waters" points out the refusal of the county administration to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's order for Maui County to conduct injection well tracer and sampling tests along

the Kaanapali coastline. The tests are meant to determine if the injection of millions of gallons per day of sewage effluent is reaching our nearshore waters and has the potential to affect the quality of the water, the health of the coral reef system and the physical and economic health of the county's citizens and visitors.

The EPA ordered the county to submit a proposal for the sampling plan by March 15 and that the final sampling plan to be submitted by April 26. According to the article, none of these submissions occurred. The county appears to be stalling ...
> Read the entire editorial at mauinews.com

Famous turtle mom due for return
The Maui NewsCopyright © 2010 Maui News.
April 24, 2010 - It's spring, and an old turtle's thoughts turn to romance. Not young turtles - green sea turtles don't reach breeding age until they are 20 years old or older.

Turtle fanciers are expecting and hoping that "Maui Girl" - officially turtle 5690 - will return several times this season to nest in Lahaina, which she has done every other year since 2000. A number of other turtles, none with a name, are also likely to visit Maui's beaches in about a month,
Baby hawksbill in a human footprint - photo: Cheryl King
A baby hawksbill sea turtle finds itself stuck in a footprint in this 2008 photo. Starting next month, volunteers will start a Dawn Patrol to monitor Maui beaches for turtle nests.
PHOTO: CHERYL KING
according to Cheryl King, research coordinator of Hawaii Wildlife Fund, which helps monitor nests.

Finding the nests can be a life-and-death matter for baby turtles. Last year, a previously unknown hawksbill laid a nest in front of the Maui Lu, but nobody noticed. The babies, misled by street lights, crawled onto South Kihei Road.

"(They) were squashed," King said. "It was pretty traumatic."

HWF volunteers and professional wildlife biologists were alerted and managed to save some nestlings. The same turtle also had made two nests at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. Those were spotted and hatched out successfully.

Glynnis Nakai, manager of the refuge, will announce soon a meeting to organize this year's Dawn Patrol, a volunteer watch that monitors three South Maui beaches for signs of nesting by the critically endangered hawksbills.

King said more volunteers always can be used, because it would be desirable to expand the patrol to more than three beaches. It would be impossible, she said, to monitor them all.
> Read full article at mauinews.com

The plight of the Hawaiian Monk Seal
Maui TimeCopyright © 2010 Maui Times. By Rob Parsons by Trisha Smith
April 7, 2010 - A dozen years ago I met a strapping young man, just out of high school and working as first mate on a snorkel cruise boat. Much to my amazement, one of his duties on daily excursions to Molokini was to discourage a rambunctious teenage monk seal, known for making amorous advances on unsuspecting tourists.

I had read about "Humpy," as the seal was dubbed, and his interactions with surprised swimmers, mainly in the Makena area of Maui Time articleSouth Maui. Agencies responded to the ongoing incidents by relocating the frisky seal to Kaho'olawe. But within days, the seal had returned and was frequenting Molokini islet, with its hundreds of daily snorkelers and divers. While some visitors were undoubtedly thrilled to encounter the rare pinniped, they may not have been aware of the dangers associated. To humans, yes, as seals are known to nip or bite. But much more so to the seal.

[portion of article removed - read full article]

Biologist Bill Gilmartin began studying Hawaiian monk seals in 1978, investigating die-offs on Laysan Island. He worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service from 1980 until his retirement in 1995, serving as a vital member of the Monk Seal Recovery Team (MSRT).

The MSRT pushed for greater measures to aid survival of seal pups and launched efforts in the '80s '90s to relocate newly weaned pups, allowing them to grow and fatten in captivity before returning to the wild.

In 1994, Gilmartin and his team relocated 21 adult males to the main Hawaiian Islands to prevent aggressive "mobbing" behavior during breeding season that sometimes injures or kills females in estrus.

Following his "retirement" from NMFS, Gilmartin and fellow scientist Hannah Bernard formed the Hawaii Wildlife Fund in 1996, primarily to address gaps in recovery efforts for endangered hawksbill turtles and monk seals. Both believe that partnership with the community us key.

"We've seen an increase of larger, healthier animals in the main [Hawaiian] Islands," said Gilmartin. "With that, there will continue to be more on our beaches. More education will allow for collaboration."
> Read full article at mauitime.com

HWF organizes 'More Fish in the Sea' festival
Hawai'i Wildlife Fund kuleana booth at the 2010 More Fish in the Sea festival
Ken Schmitt of Hike Maui, left, stops by the Hawai'i Wildlife Fund kuleana booth at the 2010 More Fish in the Sea festival to talk story with event organizers Hannah Bernard and Danielle Johnson.

PHOTO: ROB PARSONS

ARTICLES ON APRIL 3, 2010 'MORE FISH IN THE SEA':
> Maui News: March 31, - Molokai cultural practitioners at festival
> Maui Weekly: April 1, 2010 - More Fish in the Sea
> Maui Time: March 31, 2010 - More Fish in the Sea
> Maui News: April 1, 2010 - More Fish in the Sea
> Maui News: March 24 - Sponsors, participants sought for fest

April 3, 2010 - Maui, Hawaii - The More Fish in the Sea ocean awareness fair celebrated one of our most precious resources, the ocean, featuring educational booths, water quality testing

lessons, reef surveys and a beach clean-up.
   Entertainment included music by Oren Masserman of Barefoot Minded, an ocean film festival, and information on island-wide projects throughout the month of April in celebration of Earth Day.
   The event organizers, which included Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, held the event to raise awareness and to provide access to actions that help bring back the health of Maui's coastal waters. This year, Uncle Mac PoePoe, of Hui Malama O Mo'omomi, and Uncle Merv Dudoit of Ka Honua Momona, Intl., were honored with the annual Malama i ke Kai Annual Kupuna award. Last year's honoree was noted educator and founder of Maui Cultural Lands/Malama Honokowai, Ed Lindsey.

Program rescues stranded sea turtles along Maui
Maui WeeklyCopyright © 2010 Maui Weekly by Trisha Smith
March 18, 2010 - Hawaiian waters are home to several protected species of sea turtles, including the honu (green sea turtle), which provides underwater delight for residents and visitors alike.

All sea turtles (dead and alive) are legally protected. Green sea turtles are considered threatened, while many others, like the hawksbills, are deemed endangered. The state strives to provide a safe haven for our shelled reptile friends, and encourages residents to educate themselves and our visitors about Hawai‘i’s precious wildlife.

But many people don’t know what to do when coming across a turtle in need along the beaches or struggling in nearshore waters.

[portion of article removed]

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund (HWF) also works in collaboration with NMFS/NOAA. HWF President Hannah Bernard and Research Coordinator Cheryl King are vital parts of turtle conservation efforts on Maui.

"The main message is to leave animals alone, give them space and contact the right people," said Bernard. "We all need to educate visitors, because they don’t know not to touch them."
> Read full article online at Maui Weekly

Get the drift - Beach cleanup mahalo
Copyright © 2009 West Hawaii TodayWest Hawaii Today
by Terry Miura, Aquatic Program Assistant, County of Hawaii

December 18, 2009 - I would like to thank all the volunteers, from keiki to kupuna, who participated in this year's International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), Get The Drift & Bag It, held Sept 19. Community groups, school groups and individuals participated in the largest single-day volunteer event to protect our ocean and waterways. International Coastal Cleanup. Click photo to enlarge

With most of the results in, we had over 841 volunteers participate this year. These volunteers picked up a huge amount of trash both in and out of the water totaling over 12,626 pounds. This year the Hawaii Wildlife Fund volunteers at Kamilo hauled out 4,000 pounds of derelict fishing nets and another 1,580 pounds of other debris. Along the Puako and Waialea Bay area, volunteers there collected over 3,957 pounds on shore and another 1,406 pounds under the water.
> Read full letter to the editor at westhawaiitoday.com
> Watch video

Teach Maui - enrichment program for children
August 13, 2009 - Local educators Evelyn and Ed Zayas have concluded that the best way to develop a sense of stewardship in Cheryl King and the children imitate how turtles crawl up the beaches to nest.our community would be an investment in the minds and attitudes of our children. “Our enrichment program for fourth through eighth grade Maui students coordinates and delivers engaging activities in a four-week Saturday morning format,” they said. “We want to teach our children to appreciate and care for the environment, making them aware of our natural resources.” ... Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Maui Research Coordinator Cheryl King gave a presentation on Maui turtles at the National Marine Sanctuary Education Center in Kihei. The children learned about turtle nesting habits and ways to help with marine conservation. “We are all so lucky to live here, but our island ecosystems need our help,” said King. “We hope that by engaging the children’s imaginations through hands-on learning, we can teach them the ethics of respect and conservation needed here.”
> Read full article at mauiweekly.com

HWF sea turtle rescue topic of online news video
August 5, 2009 - Cheryl King of Hawaii Wildlife Fund on Akaku videoMaui Community Television's Akaku On Demand "Maui Daily" online video show featured Hawai'i Wildlife Fund's Ocean Resource Specialist Cheryl King working with Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Aquatic Specialist Skippy Hau and Maui Coastal Land Trust
to excavate an endangered green sea turtle nest, freeing hatchlings that were not able to get out of the nest on their own.
> Watch video

Animal Planet's Corwin signs MRF Diver's Pledge

Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin receives a Maui Reef Fund tag from HWF's Hannah Bernard
Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin receives a Maui Reef Fund tag from HWF President Hannah Bernard.
Feb 2009 - Jeff Corwin, one of the nation's leading environmentalists who created and stars in Animal Planet's "The Jeff Corwin Experience" and "Corwin's Quest," has visited Maui many times and worked to preserve the island's marine environment through his films. During a recent visit, Corwin was named an honorary member of the Maui Reef Fund after saying that he was willing to sign MRF's Diver's Pledge (see below). When divers sign the pledge, MRF gives them a tag to hang on their dive BCD or dive tank.

MRF DIVER’S PLEDGE > DOWNLOAD DIVER'S PLEDGE (pdf 22kb)
To ensure that the reefs I dive on continue to thrive, I pledge to:

  • Follow all applicable State and Federal laws related to marine life and protected areas.
  • Be respectful to all marine life.
  • Never touch, stand, kick, stand or rest on corals.
  • Never chase, harass, flush from shelter or relocate marine life.
  • Not feed fish or other marine life.
  • Keep a respectful distance from turtles and never chase them, block their path or try to ride them.
  • Secure dive flags to the sandy bottom using weights or other anchoring device or tie off to non-living surfaces.
  • Be extra careful if taking photos or videos, being aware of the reef and respectful of the marine life.
  • Look before touching the bottom for balance, making sure it is non-living substrate and when absolutely necessary using only one or two fingers for contact.
  • Minimize glove use unless required by a medical condition, for thermal protection, or for safety.

HWF featured in 'Preserving Paradise' book
Hawai’i Wildlife Fund is proud to have three programs featured in a new book, “Preserving Paradise,” by Maui author Kirsten Whatley. The book provides Preserving Paradiseways the island visitors and residents can volunteer with HWF and other environmental groups.
   In a description of her experience volunteering with HWF's Hawksbill Sea Turtle Nestwatch Project, Whatley writes, “Sleeping on the beach has its lures – black night skies, sand in your hair, the lullaby of waves tumbling at the foot of your bed. Then the alarm goes off and you're up again. It's 2:00 a.m. You scan the sand for turtle tracks. Nothing. You look for baby turtles wandering in the darkness, instinctively trying to reach their saltwater home. Not yet. You reset the alarm and lean back against a cushion of sand, breathing in the seaweed air, knowing that if just one in a hundred hatchlings survives its journey from nest to ocean tonight, you'll have done your job. ...”

HWF President named Conservationist of the Year
 HWF's president Bill Gilmartin named Conservationist of Year
Oct 6, 2007: HWF's president Bill Gilmartin receives the Conservationist of the Year Award from Casey Jarman (left) of the Conservation Council for Hawai'i. HWF's Vice President Hannah Bernard (right) was there to see Bill receive the honor.

More articles about Hawai'i Wildlife Fund:

> Viewpoint by Hannah Bernard: E ola ke kai, e ola kakou
  - as the ocean thrives, so do we

   April 12, 2009, The Maui News

> New Hawaii ferry could endanger whales, court told
   Sept 11, 2007, AP & Seattle Times

> Round One of Superferry Testimonies
   Sept 10, 2007, KHNL TV

> Giving Back
   How you can promote our oceans’ sustainability and health
   Feb 8, 2007, Maui Time Weekly

> Isle conservationists: Military move ’tragic’
   Jan 24, 2007, Maui News

> March of the turtles
   Nov 9, 2006, Independent Record, Helena, Montana

> Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas
   Aug 2, 2006, LA Times

> Thirty-five tons of trash
   Feb 2006 Big Island Clean Up coordinated by Hawai'i Wildlife Fund
   July 2006, Sea Grant's Hawaii Fishing News (pdf 794kb)

> Marine debris brings together agencies, biz, volunteers
   Nov-Dec 2005 Big Island Clean Ups coordinated by Hawai'i Wildlife Fund
   Jan 2006, Sea Grant's Hawaii Fishing News (pdf 529kb)

> Leadership: Hannah Bernard
   Hawaii’s sea life owes this marine biologist a big mahalo
   2006, Coastal Living Magazine

> Tending Turtles
   Volunteers are helping bring hawksbills back from the brink
   Oct 2005, Maui noka'oi magazine

> Environmental Heroes
   Jan 2005, Maui noka'oi magazine

> Watching Out for Makana
   Hawaiian monk seal sightings at Maui beaches are on the rise
   July 2004, Maui noka'oi magazine


 
 
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