Monk Seal pup found dead in net

[Midnight Star]

For every life we take from the sea, the sea also, in turn, takes it back from us.

 

[Charlie99]

Kona Rules are locally made laws, and are conciderably more strict than the rest of the state. Perhaps it is time to make a change.

Change is inacted when someone stands up and says "that's enough".

I thought lay nets needed to be tended at all times, and had a max soak time of an hour or so. Right? So most probably the owner of that net was already breaking the law.

Charlie Allen

 

[ch0ppersrule]

The guy (being interviewed) said on the news he thought the baby had been tangled in the nets for a couple of days.

 

[LioKai]

Aloha Charlie,
Kona rules are more strict than the rest of Hawaii. In Kona your nets must have floats with your name on it, it must be registered, and a max soak of 4 hours per day. Also, in Kona, if you lose your net you must report it. This net involving the seal pup was layed on Oahu.

Listen up Hawaii residents, check the DLNR office and DOCARE office to see when you can attend the next meetings for net rules and law making. Your voice and your attendance make a difference. Make attending the meeting a dive club event.

 

[LioKai]

... thought the baby had been tangled in the nets for a couple of days.

If the net had been tagged with floats and name tags, and was found abandoned, the owner would be held liable as if they had hunted the seal.

 

[justleesa]

Interesting that it is only law/rule on the Big Island....why is that?

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

Hey these are interesting posts, I didn't know there was so much law behind the nets.

Thanks for helping me keep my facts straight. This is sad though.

 

[LioKai]

Interesting that it is only law/rule on the Big Island....why is that?

Because a few Kona residents got together and said "that's enough". The voices you hear at the public meetings are not politicians, they are yours and mine.

FYI, Oahu has a gill net meeting via DLNR, DAR, DOCARE some time later this year. This is not a discussion by a few people drinking coffee, this is to make rules that are to become law. If you want your voices to be heard you need to be there.

The average meeting in Kona has 35 people in attendance. To make laws on fish collecting in Kona the meeting had more than 500. Now 1/3 of the Kona coast is protected against fish collecting. It wasn't that simple, but then again it was that simple, because it started with a handfull of residents that said, "that's enough".

 

[Charlie99]

Here's a link that compares the current statewide rules with the proposed new rules. The new rules are similar to existing Kona rules on things like net registration and marking.

Current rules statewide is 4 hours max soak per day, and must inspect net every 2 hours and release unwanted, undersized, and illegal catch every 2 hours.

So the owner of the net was indeed violating the existing rules for Oahu if it had been untended for more than 2 hours.

Current statewide rules don't require registration and marking of nets. Registration and marking of nets would certainly discourage people from breaking the rules on lay gillnets, so the proposed rules look pretty good.

 

[LioKai]

Wow Charlie, you are good with the google search.