By Bret Yager
West Hawaii Today
Boaters intent on getting close to humpback whales no longer will be allowed to put themselves in front of the giants and wait for them to swim past, under just one new rule being proposed by the Hawaii Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
The rule against intercepting a moving whale addresses a safety issue for whales and the people on the boats, said sanctuary superintendent Malia Chow. Boaters frequently skirt the 100-yard approach limit by placing themselves in the humpbacks’ path, she said.
“It’s also about not altering the whales’ behavior by getting in the way,” she said.
In the draft management plan that is out for a 90-day public comment period, additional species would be protected in the sanctuary and its overall area would be expanded to include 235 square miles of water around Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Niihau. New rules would create special management areas where seafloor disturbance, sewage discharge, explosives and introduction of invasive species are prohibited, and special “focus” areas to engage communities in partnerships.
Sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals would be protected under the sanctuary, which also would have a new name: Hawaii Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary – Na Kai Ewalu, which is a reference to the channels between the main islands.
Submerged cultural and maritime heritage resources also would be protected from disturbance under the plan.
The proposal has been in the works since 2010 and comprises a significant partnership with the state and local community groups, said Chow.
“We’re hearing a lot of people are not comfortable with the status quo,” Chow said in an interview. “They want government to play a stronger role.”
Feedback from working groups has pointed to a need for a management approach that is ecosystem-wide rather than focused exclusively on whales, Chow said.
“People want protections for more than just humpbacks,” she said.
The special management areas would be located at Penguin Bank and Maunalua Bay, both off Oahu, and Maui Nui, a shallow protected sea between Maui and Molokai, under several alternatives sketched out in the proposal.
While no special management or focus areas have been designated for West Hawaii, that could change, Chow said.
“We’d be very receptive if that’s what the people of West Hawaii want,” she said.
A public meeting with an opportunity to submit comment is scheduled for 5:30-8 p.m. May 7 at the Kealakehe High School cafeteria in Kailua-Kona.
“We really want the public to weigh in and tell us if we got it right,” Chow said.
To view the draft management plan on the Web, visit hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/management/management_plan_review.html
Comments can be submitted electronically at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov and search for NOAA-NOS-2015-0028
Mail comments to: Malia Chow, Sanctuary Superintendent, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
Email Bret Yager at byager@westhawaiitoday.com.
