DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

News Release

LINDA LINGLE

GOVERNOR

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PETER T. YOUNG, CHAIRPERSON

Phone: (808) 587-0401

Fax: (808) 587-0390

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For Immediate Release: February 15, 2005

DLNR Cites Fishers for Net and Boat Violations,
Turtle Death

HONOLULU - Dept. of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) enforcement officers cited two Kahalu‘u men for various fishing and net violations on Friday February 11, 2005.

On Friday morning, DLNR enforcement dispatch received an anonymous complaint about a gill net in waters fronting Kualoa Beach.

The complainant said they saw the net left in the waters longer than the four hour limit allowed by law.
The law requires that a lay net be checked every two hours.

DLNR officers from the Crime Reduction Unit responded to the report. They monitored the net for two hours, then entered the waters to inspect it, and found a small green sea turtle caught within the net, dead. The turtle was retrieved and placed on shore.

As the DLNR officers were retrieving the net from the waters, two males arrived on the scene and identified the net as belonging to them. They told officers that they had set more than one gillnet in the waters at about 3 a.m. They said they later checked the nets and released, alive, two turtles that were stuck in the nets.

Officers also boarded and inspected the men’s zodiac pontoon-type boat with an outboard motor. They found the vessel did not contain any required flotation devices and did not have a current registration.

“This case, with its senseless loss of marine life, is an example of why responsible fishing is so important to the sustainability of our natural resources,” said Young. “We thank those individuals who care enough about protecting our natural resources to call in to report violations,” he said.

“DLNR is looking at evaluating use and regulation of stationary lay (gill) nets in the state. We recently held public hearings to discuss this matter,” Young said.

The pair was subsequently issued citations for:
-Failure to inspect a gill net set in the water for more than 2 hours.
-Failure to remove a gill net set in the water for more than a 4-hour period.
These are petty misdemeanors, and can be punished by a fine of up to $1,000.

In addition, the men face penalties due to:

-Taking of a protected green sea turtle.
-Failure to have personal flotation devices aboard a vessel
-Failure to have a current registration for a vessel.
These are misdemeanors that can be punished by up to a $2,000 fine and 30 days in jail.

DLNR officers also seized property and recovered:

- 1 green sea turtle approximately 2 ft length
- 1,750 total feet of meshed gill nets
- 1 zodiac pontoon boat
- 1 six horsepower Johnston outboard motor

Case proceedings are pending in Kane‘ohe District Court.

To report a natural resource violation call DLNR’s 24-hour enforcement hotline at 587-0077 (O‘ahu). On a neighbor island call “0” (operator) and ask for Enterprise 5469 to be transferred to the DLNR 24-hour hotline.

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For more information, contact:
Gary Moniz, Chief
DLNR-Enforcement
Phone: (808) 587-0066