Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015

Before leaving USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, scientist Mike Poland shares his discoveries at After Dark in the Park Tuesday. Photo from HVO

CREWS HAVE FREED AN ENTANGLED WHALE of lines and a buoy. The whale had been circling Hawai`i Island, and a rescue planned for Monday had to be cancelled when the whale moved into rough and inaccessible waters near South Point, reported Bret Yager, of West Hawai`i Today.

A crew works to disentangle a humpback whale from fishing line and a buoy.
Photo from R. Finn of NOAA

“We decided to stand down and be patient and wait for the weather,” Ed Lyman, large whale entanglement response coordinator for Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, told Yager.
Lyman and two others used an inflatable watercraft to get close to the whale. With knives on a long pole and a cutting grapple, they removed nearly all of the entangling gear and expect the remaining line to be shed as a wound on the whale heals.
According to Yager, the agency contacted the fisherman who owns the gear. “It’s about figuring out what’s going on, so we know the best thing to do,” Lyman said. “I’ve worked with fishermen, and I know that, if we can get the information to them, they will incorporate it.”
Ka`u residents who see a distressed whale can report it to NOAA’s Marine Mammal Hotline at 888-256-9840.
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HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE National Marine Sanctuary is seeking to fill primary and alternate seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public input into sanctuary matters and provides advice to the sanctuary management.
“The members of our advisory council represent an extremely important element of our community,” said Malia Chow, sanctuary superintendent. “Their input, experience and expertise assist sanctuary managers in making informed and timely decisions on how best to protect and conserve our important cultural and natural resources.”

Three primary seats are business commerce, commercial shipping and whale watching. Alternate seats are Native Hawaiian, Hawai`i County and commercial shipping.
Alternates attend meetings when primary members are not available and assume a seat if a primary member resigns. All candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations and views regarding protection and management of marine resources.
Established in 1996, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations on managing and protecting the sanctuary. The council is composed of government and non-governmental seats for a total of 53 representatives who serve on a volunteer basis, represent a variety of local user groups, the general public and state and federal governmental jurisdictions.
Applications are due March 31. To receive an application kit or for further information, contact council coordinator Shannon Lyday at Shannon.Lyday@noaa.gov, 808-725-5905 or http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov. Completed applications should be submitted to Inouye Regional Center, Attn: NOS/HIHWNMS/Shannon Lyday, 1845 Wasp Blvd, Bldg 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
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Rep. Richard Onishi

Rep. Richard Creagan

FUNDING FOR LITTLE FIRE ANT management is advancing at the state Legislature. The House Agriculture Committee passed HB 1403, introduced by several legislators, including Ka`u’s Reps. Richard Onishi and Richard Creagan. The bill mandates that the state Department of Agriculture establish a little fire ant Pesticide Treatment Coupon Pilot Project on Hawai`i Island. The project would distribute coupons redeemable for appropriate pesticides at suppliers or vendors within Hawai`i County at no cost to individuals who have reported and verified to the department the presence of LFA on their property within the county. Each coupon would be valid for a one-year supply of the department’s recommended treatment plan.

DOA would also create a map indicating all LFA sites in the county by using all its available data, including verified reports of LFA sites. The maps would be updated periodically and made available on the department’s website.
Tom Callis, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, reported that Onishi said the state needs to do more to help Big Island residents. “We saw what happened with the coqui frogs and the fact that there was no program for homeowners until later,” Onishi said. He said the bill would help county efforts to create a larger buffer zone around neighborhoods and park facilities.
Information about LFA is available at littlefireants.com.
See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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THE FOOD BASKET WANTS TO CONNECT hungry customers to Ka`u farms’ fresh produce. The Food Basket’s islandwide Community-Supported Agriculture program is looking for more locally grown produce to supply customers’ food boxes. Local greens, fruits, squashes, root crops and other interesting crops will be considered.
Contact The Food Basket’s Hilo office at 933-6030. For more information about The Food Basket, Hawai`i Island’s Food Bank, see hawaiifoodbasket.org.

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Lei making is the subject of a contest and exhibition. Photo from DOFAW

KA`U LEI MAKERS CAN ENTER KAULUWEHI, a juried lei art contest and exhibition celebrating native species, Hawaiian culture and sustainable picking practices on Hawai`i Island. Kauluwehi features three main categories including kahiko (traditional style lei), `auana (contemporary lei), and lei hulu (feather lei). The kahiko category features several subcategories, each showcasing a particular material such as leaves, flowers or fruit and seed of a plant. The `auana category moves away from the traditional style of lei making by incorporating recycled materials, synthetic materials and exotic plant materials.

Lei will be judged on craftsmanship, creativeness of design, uniqueness of material and complexity or effort put into it. Amateur and professional lei artist of all ages are invited to enter.

The contest and exhibition are sponsored by Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Hawai`i Island Natural Area Reserves, Three Mountain Alliance and Wailoa Arts and Cultural Center.
For more information and to enter, go to dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw.
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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE ARE URGING the public to be aware of hazardous conditions at roadside memorials. Nighttime vigils are particularly dangerous because of limited visibility by passing motorists, who might not see mourners or their parked vehicles until the last minute. Participants are encouraged to limit vigils to daytime hours.
Visitors to roadside memorials should be alert to the close proximity of moving vehicles and should park their own vehicles safely out of the way of passing traffic. Motorists are asked to exercise extra caution in the vicinity of roadside memorials.
“While the Police Department understands that roadside memorials can be part of the grieving process, we encourage everyone to exercise caution and common sense to avoid any additional tragedy,” Chief Harry Kubojiri said.
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KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS holds a meeting today at 1 p.m. and a celebration from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Old Pahala Clubhouse.

Lunch is at 12 p.m., with kanikapila and heavy pupus at 6:30 p.m. Workshops, music and hula presentations take place throughout the day. See kauarts.org.

TOP 10 INSIGHTS ABOUT WORKING at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: One Scientist’s Perspective is the topic at this week’s After Dark in the Park program.
Mike Poland, a scientist with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, has spent the past 10 years studying volcanic and earthquake activity across the Hawaiian Islands. He came to HVO in 2005 to focus on deformation, changes in the shape of a volcano prior to and during an eruption, but quickly realized that monitoring volcanoes like Kilauea and Mauna Loa requires teamwork and innovation – two things in which Hawaiian Volcano Observatory specializes.

Poland will soon return to USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Washington, where he was stationed prior to HVO. Before he goes, he shares what he has discovered over the past decade about Hawaiian volcanoes and earthquakes, as well as the scientists who work at HVO.
The free program takes place Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.