 |
| Commercial aquarium fish collecting has been shut down since 2017 and a new EIS concludes that limited collection should be allowed. The sign above at Papa Bay indicates collecting is prohibited. Photo from EIS |
AQUARIUM FISH COLLECTING MAY RESUME from South Point up the coast of Kaʻū, Kona through North Kohala. An Environmental Impact Statement, released on Thursday, proposes limits to commercial and recreational collecting in the West Hawaiʻi Fishery Management Area. The proposal would limit the number of licenses to ten, a drop from an earlier proposal of 14. It would place a bag limit of five yellow tang and five kole per day. The two species accounted for 90 percent of aquarium collectors' take along Hawaiʻi Island's west coast, until the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court shut down the aquarium industry in 2017 and ordered the EIS. The court ruled that aquarium collecting must comply with the Hawaiʻi Environmental Policy Act.
 |
| The proposed area for commercial aquarium fish collecting is shown in the shaded area of the near shore waters on the west side of Kaʻū. Map from the EIS |
The EIS estimates that the industry would infuse a direct $1.8 million to $3.7 million, and an indirect $9.1 million to $18.7 million, of socioeconomic impacts into the island's economy. The earlier draft EIS proposed more fish be taken, but drew opposition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States and a group called For the Fishes.
The final EIS proposes to limit the take to no more than 2 percent of the islandwide population of each fish. The EIS presents research, concluding that the fish could survive with a take of between 5 percent and 25 percent per year.
The final EIS would limit recreational collectors to five fish per day and prohibit their sales. However, it would allow the use of fine mesh nets for commercial and recreational collectors.
The EIS includes photos, sketches, maps and much history of fishing and habitation of the Miloliʻi and Kaʻū Coast. It also includes a history of commercial aquarium fishing in Hawaiʻi. See the entire report on the state Office of Environmental Quality Control website at oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/EA_EIS_Library/2020-04-23-HA-FEIS-Hawaii-Island-Commercial-Aquarium-Permits.pdf.
Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
NEW TIMES AND SITES for the Learning Packet and Student Resource Distribution for Nāʻālehu Elementary School Students will be in effect tomorrow, Monday, April 27. The packets are designed for learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and can be picked up every two weeks. One family member may pick up for several students in the same family. Students need not be present for the learning resources to be retrieved, but the grade of each child needs to be given. Distribution times are organized by the first letter of the student's last name at the site closest to their home. Supplies are given out simultaneously.
 |
| Masks and gloves were worn by school officials during the last handout of Learning Packets and Student Resources. Photo from Nāʻālehu Elementary |
Distribution at Discovery Harbour Community Center 8:20 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. for I-P, and 8:40 a.m. - 9 a.m. for Q-Z.
Distribution at Ocean View Mālama Market has pick-up from 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. for A-H, 9:50 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. for I-P, and 10:10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. for Q-Z.
Distribution at Ocean View Community Center 5 p.m. - 5:20 p.m. for A-H, 5:20 p.m. - 5:40 p.m. for I-P, and 5:40 p.m. - 6 p.m. for Q-Z.
Those who come to campus to pick up free student breakfasts are encouraged to also pick up their packets at the same time.
Everyone is asked to observe social distancing rules, staying 6 feet away from others during pick-up. See the school website, naalehuel.hidoe.us, for more information and updates.
Everyone is asked to observe social distancing rules, staying 6 feet away from others during pick-up. See the school website, naalehuel.hidoe.us, for more information and updates.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
THE EARLIEST TROPICAL DEPRESSION IN HAWAIʻI'S RECORDED SATELLITE WEATHER HISTORY withered to a remnant low today. Tropical Depression One-E formed Saturday morning. The National Weather Service described it as "the earliest formation of a tropical cyclone in the eastern North Pacific basin since the satellite era began in 1996." By noon today, the remnant low pressure was about 770 miles southwest of Baja California, morning northwest at nine miles an hour. It is expected to dissipate by Monday night.
THE EARLIEST TROPICAL DEPRESSION IN HAWAIʻI'S RECORDED SATELLITE WEATHER HISTORY withered to a remnant low today. Tropical Depression One-E formed Saturday morning. The National Weather Service described it as "the earliest formation of a tropical cyclone in the eastern North Pacific basin since the satellite era began in 1996." By noon today, the remnant low pressure was about 770 miles southwest of Baja California, morning northwest at nine miles an hour. It is expected to dissipate by Monday night.
 |
| This year's first tropical depression is expected to dissipate by tomorrow night. Image from NWS |
THANKS FOR GROCERY STORE WORKERS was posted on social media by Sen. Mazie Hirono: "I really want to add my voice of thanks to all the people who are keeping our grocery stores open. I'm hopeful that every time you see someone working in a grocery store or delivering your food that we take the time to be grateful and thankful to them. We're in this together."
 |
No COVID-19 cases so far in the zip code areas of Volcano, Pāhala, and Ocean View. White indicates zero cases, light yellow indicates one to five cases. The 96772 area in Kaʻū has one case recorded. Map from DOH |
HAWAIʻI ISLAND HAS ONE NEW CASE OF COVID-19 reported today, bringing the state's case count for Hawaiʻi Island to 70. Forty-nine people have been cleared as recovered; the remaining are quarantined at home and monitored by DOH. No one on Hawaiʻi Island has died from the virus. The one man who was hospitalized at Kona Community Hospital with the virus has been released and is quarantined at home, "very good news," says today's message from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno.
Magno also thanked the long hours put in by credit union and bank employees, helping small businesses be prepared for the Small Business loan application reopening, which begins very early tomorrow.
Two new cases were reported statewide by Department of Health. Since the pandemic began, 606 cases have been confirmed in the state. The state death toll is 14. More than 482 people have recovered.
In theUnited States , 986,000 cases have been confirmed. About 109,000 have already recovered. The death toll is 55,417.
Magno also thanked the long hours put in by credit union and bank employees, helping small businesses be prepared for the Small Business loan application reopening, which begins very early tomorrow.
Two new cases were reported statewide by Department of Health. Since the pandemic began, 606 cases have been confirmed in the state. The state death toll is 14. More than 482 people have recovered.
In the
 |
Civil Defense Director |
Worldwide, more than 2.97 million have contracted COVID-19. About 29 percent, 868,806 victims have recovered. The death toll is 206,569.
MAGMA PRESSURE IS THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE 2018 KĪLAUEA ERUPTION, states this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
Increasing magma pressure most likely culprit in triggering the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.
Understanding the immediate causes of volcanic eruptions is necessary for timely warnings. The topic, therefore, is of great interest to volcanologists, and each eruption offers an opportunity to add insight.
This week, many of us read news coverage of a recent study suggesting that unusually heavy rainfall triggered the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea . To address possible heightened concern about this correlation, this week's Volcano Watch offers comments based on HVO's collective scientific understanding of Kīlauea . Meanwhile, HVO and USGS colleagues are preparing a formal response for publication in the scientific literature.
This hypothesis about heavy rainfall is thought-provoking, but does it mean that Hawaiʻi residents need to be concerned that heavy rain might cause the next eruption?
Based on HVO's analysis of data collected in 2018, plus many studies of previous eruptions, our answer is that no, residents need not be concerned about a connection.
 |
An aerial view of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the actively overflowing lava lake on |
Our analysis indicates that increasing pressure in the magmatic system, which far exceeds the change in pressure modeled as due to rainwater infiltration, was the primary driver in triggering the 2018 eruption.
For HVO, the smoking gun is found in the ground deformation record across a broad region of Kīlauea Volcano leading up to the eruption.
Specifically, tiltmeter and GPS stations recorded rapid uplift of the ground surface, best explained as the result of increasing pressure within the magmatic plumbing system at Puʻu ʻŌʻō, starting in March 2018. Rapid uplift began at the summit of Kīlauea a few weeks later as the summit reservoir began inflating. This pressurization was widespread and drove lava lakes at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the summit to unusually high levels, causing the largest overflows in Halemaʻumaʻu during the entire 10-year lifespan of the lava lake.
These changes were so clear that HVO issued a Volcano Activity Notice on April 17, 2018 , noting ongoing pressurization, and forecasting that a new eruptive vent could form on the East Rift Zone.
On April 30, there was a small outbreak of lava on the flank of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Magma then drained from within the shallow Puʻu ʻŌʻō system, the summit of Puʻu ʻŌʻō collapsed, and magma moved forcefully down the core of the rift zone toward Leilani Estates. This intrusion continued for several days, driven by magmatic pressure within the rift zone, ultimately erupting on May 3.
In summary, our consensus interpretation of HVO's monitoring data is that magma pressurization was the driving force in triggering the events of late April and early May of 2018.
No external process, such as rainfall, is needed to explain this.
But what about the rainfall hypothesis? While the role of groundwater and rain infiltration impacting the behavior of the volcano remains an interesting area of research, we know that extreme rainfall events have occurred many times in the recent past when no eruptions occurred, and the spring 2018 rains were no greater than many previous rainstorms.
Science demands that one pose a question, gather observations, develop a hypothesis, and test the idea against available data and models. It is not uncommon for scientists to have conflicting ideas about the interpretation of data. In fact, vigorous debate over interpretations and the validity of conclusions is the hallmark of the scientific process, an expected part of the scientific method and search for the truth.
 |
| Plot of ground motion as recorded by a GPS station at and the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent (blue) for the eight months leading up to the 2018 eruption. Note the sharp increase indicating pressurization beginning in March. USGS photo |
Kīlauea's 2018 eruption was remarkable and, sadly, very destructive, but the cause seems to have followed the pattern of many previous eruptions – rising magma pressure reached a critical threshold, and magma could no longer be contained. And, while the complexity of Kīlauea 's magma system makes predicting the timing and size of eruptions difficult, understanding the signs and effects of changing magmatic pressure is the most promising avenue toward forecasting future events.
Volcano Activity Updates
Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL , volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html. Kīlauea updates are issued monthly. Kīlauea monitoring data over the past month showed no significant changes in seismicity, sulfur dioxide emission rates, or deformation.
The water lake at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continued to slowly expand and deepen. For the most current information regarding the depth of the lake see volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/summit_water_resources.html.
During the past week, HVO seismometers recorded 78 small-magnitude earthquakes on the volcano's summit and upper-elevation flanks of Mauna Loa . Most of these earthquakes occurred at shallow depths of less than 8 kilometers (~5 miles) below ground level. The largest earthquake was a magnitude 2.3 under the south caldera. Global Positioning System measurements show continued slow summit inflation, consistent with magma supply to the volcano's shallow storage system. Gas concentrations at the Sulphur Cone monitoring site on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable. Fumarole temperatures as measured at both Sulphur Cone and the summit have not changed significantly.
For more information on current monitoring of Mauna Loa Volcano, see volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/monitoring_summary.html. HVO continues to closely monitor bothKīlauea and Mauna Loa .
For more information on current monitoring of Mauna Loa Volcano, see volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/monitoring_summary.html. HVO continues to closely monitor both
Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
 |
Major scholarship sponsor Ed Olson with the 2019 Miss Kaʻū Coffee Court, with Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative Pres. Gloria Camba, far right, and former Miss Kaʻū Coffee queens Jami Beck and Maria Miranda, to her left. Photo by Julia Neal |
Kaʻū Life: The Way We Were Last Year
Last year, Helena Sesson was crowned at Kaʻū District Gym to be Miss Kaʻū Coffee 2019. A senior at Kaʻū High School, she said she planned to become a police officer "to keep my community safe." She sang in Spanish, accompanied by her own ʻukulele stylings. Lilianna Marques took the Kaʻū Peaberry title, winning the talent with an original song about coffee picking. Kysha Manini Kaupu took the Miss Coffee Flower title. The title of Junior Miss Kaʻū Coffee was retained by the 2018 winner, Cristina Kawewehi.
Pageant Director Trini Marques thanked the many sponsors that gave the seven contestants their scholarships: Edmund C. Olson, Rep. Richard Ohnishi, Kaʻū Mahi, CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union, Kaʻū Valley Farms, Punaluʻu Bake Shop, Pacific Quest, and Big Island Toyota.
Pageant Director Trini Marques thanked the many sponsors that gave the seven contestants their scholarships: Edmund C. Olson, Rep. Richard Ohnishi, Kaʻū Mahi, CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union, Kaʻū Valley Farms, Punaluʻu Bake Shop, Pacific Quest, and Big Island Toyota.
 |
Miss Flower Kysha Manini Kaupu and First Princess Adilyn Aetonu, along with sponsor Kaʻū Valley Farms representative Lloyd Nakano. Photo by Julia Neal |
Miss Popularity, across all candidates from ages 4 to 17, went to five-year old Adilyn Aetonu, of Pāhala, with a $200 scholarship and the title based on support she received from the community.
In the Miss Kaʻū Coffee category, Kaʻū High School Sophomore Bernadette Ladia won Swimsuit and Gown. Graduating Senior Helena Sesson took Interview, Career Outfit, Photogenic, and Talent to become Miss Kaʻū Coffee 2019. She took home a $1,500 scholarship from Edmund C. Olson and $400 for winning four categories in the competition, with scholarships provided by Pacific Quest, County Council member Maile David, state House of Representatives members Richard Onishi and Richard Creagan, and state Senator Russell Ruderman. First Miss Kaʻū Coffee took home a $1,000 scholarship from Kaʻū Mahi and $200 in scholarships from Rep. Richard Onishi.
In the Miss Peaberry category, Helen Miranda took the Gown and became Second Miss Peaberry, with a $350 scholarship from Pacific Quest and a $90 scholarship from Rep. Richard Creagan. Kendall Haddock took Talent and became First Miss Peaberry, with a $650 scholarship from CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union and donors, and a $90 scholarship from Rep. Richard Onishi. Lilianna Marques won the Miss Peaberry title, taking Character Outfit and Photogenic. She took home an $850 scholarship from Punaluʻu Bakeshop and Rep. Richard Onishi, as well as two $90 scholarships from County Council member Maile David and Sen. Russell Ruderman and donors.
In the Miss Flower category, Kysha Manini Kaʻupu took home a $500 scholarship from Kaʻū Valley Farms, an $80 scholarship from Sen. Russell Ruderman for Miss Photogenic, plus an $80 scholarship for Character Outfit. First Miss Kaʻū Coffee Flower Adilyn Aetonu won a $350 scholarship from Big Island Toyota and an $80 scholarship for Evening Gown from Rep. Richard Onishi.
In the Miss Flower category, Kysha Manini Kaʻupu took home a $500 scholarship from Kaʻū Valley Farms, an $80 scholarship from Sen. Russell Ruderman for Miss Photogenic, plus an $80 scholarship for Character Outfit. First Miss Kaʻū Coffee Flower Adilyn Aetonu won a $350 scholarship from Big Island Toyota and an $80 scholarship for Evening Gown from Rep. Richard Onishi.
 |
Helena Sesson, who said she wantsed to become a police officer to help keep her community safe, won the Miss Kaʻū Coffee title in 2019. Photo by Julia Neal |
 |
Read online at kaucalendar.com. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com. |
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
Daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more are listed at kaucalendar.com. However, all non-essential activities are canceled through the end of April.
MOST EVENTS ARE CANCELLED for the month of April, to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The state is under a stay-at-home order, with l4 days of quarantine required for anyone coming into the state. Interisland travel is restricted. Those in Hawaiʻi should stay at home unless needing to obtain food or medical care.
ONGOING
Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary weekdays through at least the end of April. Each youth must be present to receive a meal. Service is drive-up or walk-up, and social distancing rules (at least six feet away) are observed. Breakfast is served 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Food is being delivered to Ocean View.
The next drive-thru screening will be Wednesday, April 29 at Nāʻālehu Community Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Screening will be carried out by Aliʻi Health, with support from County of Hawai
![]()
Beginning Wednesday, May 6, a testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday.
Wearing masks is required for everyone.
To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
Those visiting screening clinic will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pens to fill in forms.
For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.
Wearing masks is required for everyone.
To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
Those visiting screening clinic will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pens to fill in forms.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary weekdays through at least the end of April. Each youth must be present to receive a meal. Service is drive-up or walk-up, and social distancing rules (at least six feet away) are observed. Breakfast is served 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Food is being delivered to Ocean View.
St. Jude's Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen is open, with a modified menu and increased health & safety standards, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended. Services are posted online on Sundays at stjudeshawaii.org.
The Food Basket Food Pantries Distribution, where families can receive 14 days of food per family:
The Ocean View location for May is to be announced .
The Nāʻālehu location is Sacred Heart Church 95-558 Mamālahoa Hwy , under their Loaves and Fishes program, on Thursday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Call 928-8208.
The Pāhala location is Kaʻū District Gym at96-1149 Kamani Street , distributed by the ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Pantry, on Thursday, April 30 at 11:30 a.m. Call 933-6030.
The Pāhala location is Kaʻū District Gym at
On Call Emergency Food Pantry is open at Cooper Center
The Next Learning Packet and Student Resource Distribution for Nāʻālehu Elementary School Students will be Monday, April 27. The packets are designed for learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and can be picked up every two weeks. One family member may pick up for several students in the same family. Students need not be present for the learning resources to be retrieved. Please note the grade of each child. Distribution times are organized by the first letter of the student's last name at the site closest to their home. Supplies will be given out simultaneously.
Everyone is asked to observe social distancing rules, staying 6 feet away from others during pick-up. See the school website, naalehuel.hidoe.us, for more information and updates. Distribution at Nāʻālehu Elementary has pick-up from 8 a.m - 8:20 a.m. for A-H; 8:20 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. for I-P, and 8:40 a.m. - 9 a.m. for Q-Z.
Distribution at Discovery Harbour Community Center 8:20 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. for I-P, and 8:40 a.m. - 9 a.m. for Q-Z.
Distribution at Ocean View Mālama Market has pick-up from 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. for A-H, 9:50 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. for I-P, and 10:10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. for Q-Z.
Distribution at Those who come to campus to pick up free student breakfasts are encouraged to also pick up their packets at the same time.
Register for Volcano's ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Keiki Dash by Wednesday, July 22. The second annual event will be held on Saturday, July 25. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to University of Hawaiʻi for furthering research of Rapid ‘Ōhiʻa Death and The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences. See webscorer.com to register.
Half Marathon registration is $70 through May 24, $80 May 25 through July 22, and $90 for late registration. Registration for the 10K is $50 through May 24, $55 May 25 through Jul 22, and $60 for late registration. Registration for the 5K is $35 through May 24, $40 May 25 through July 22, and $45 for late registration. Keiki Dash registration is $10. All registrations are non-transferable and non-refundable.
![]()
Late registration is only available at packet pickup or race day morning. Shirts are not guaranteed for late registration. Race Shirts will be included for Half Marathon and 10K participants only. For all other participants, shirts are available to purchase online.
Packet pick-up is scheduled for Thursday, July 23 inHilo ; Friday, July 26 in Volcano; and Saturday, July 27, 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. at the race start.
Packet pick-up is scheduled for Thursday, July 23 in
Half Marathon will start at 7 a.m. Other distances follow shortly after. Keiki Dash will begin at 10 a.m. on VSAS grounds, with the option of one or two laps – about 300 meters or 600 meters. Race cut-off time for the Half Marathon is four hours. The races will begin and end in Volcano Village
See ohialehuahalf.com.
See ohialehuahalf.com.
Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium Closed for Renovation through June 30. The Park is closed until further notice due to COVID-19 spread mitigation. A popular seven-and-a-half minute 2018 eruption video will be shown on a television in the exhibits area, once the Park and center reopen, and is available online for free download.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
