ALOHA NUI LOA!

The world’s seas remain critical to our health and well-being. The ocean provides 75 percent of the world’s oxygen; it controls our weather, provides valuable pharmaceuticals, and feeds billions of people around the globe. The ocean holds a million species of plants and animals.

Most of the oceans’ creatures reside in a soup of life called “plankton” at some point in their lives. Here in this incredible mixture of flora and fauna; microscopic plant-like organisms, phytoplankton, drift along global currents creating life-giving oxygen. These incredible “creatures” are made of glass (SiO2) and calcium (CaCo3); some are shaped like perfect geometric figures, others are indescribable fascinating conglomerations. Small animals (zooplankton) feed on these plant-like organisms; and they in turn are fed upon by larger creatures in a complex and not yet understood food chain.

Coral reefs are a mixture of creatures. Here in this amazing ecosystem, animals and plants live together utilizing each others energy sources in symbiosis (living in harmony together). This union is the key to the survival of these species and their counterparts.

Recent discoveries of scientists worldwide should be alarming to the human race. However, the information is falling on deaf ears. Fish abundance and catch sizes are decreasing; toxin levels in top oceanic predators are bio accumulating, and coral reefs and other coastal environments are dying and being killed.

Trying to find out what is really happening in our oceans can be like putting a puzzle together with missing pieces. To find these missing pieces, we must take information from many sources. SOS strives to unite people, community organizations, sources of information and solutions so that we, as a whole, can implement conservation practices in Hawai’i, Polynesia and the World.

Local communities must set things in motion and become dedicated to taking care of our resources. The economy of the islands here in Hawai’i and also in many other coastal and island communities throughout the world, depends upon a healthy ocean for a food source and export food sales, as well as the influx of billions of tourism dollars that cater to ocean activities.

One Person really can make a difference!

SOS incorporates science, public awareness, and the sustainable management of resources.

We must work together to ensure that our oceans are restored, so that future generations may enjoy their many benefits.

Culturally Acceptable and Scientifically Proven solutions for Ocean Management exist...

they are already utilized worldwide with great success!

It's all for the kids, and their kids!

Mahalo,

Captain Paul Clark

From a Garden Island Newspaper article

07/12/06 Where have all the big fish gone, the ones that the Kupuna talk about that they caught 10 and 20 years ago…or 20 or 30 years ago. There are areas on the other main islands that have protected zones where fish can grow big and spillover into other areas.  Why are there none of these areas on Kaua'i?

I remember spear fishing and lobster harvesting on the Kona coast right next to some protected areas and the fish and lobster were both huge! 

In the old days there was someone to watch over seasonal closures of fish in an Ahupua'a, unfortunately the Konohiki are gone and we do not have an agency that can staff someone to do this either. It is up to us now to protect us from ourselves.

If we have some areas that we do not harvest that are close to our favorite fishing spots, these areas will produce bigger fish that swim out and into the zones we fish in.

If we can come together as a community to figure out where the best spots to protect are, the state and feds will help us to manage these spots…We get to decide where these spots are, and how they are protected!

Some good spots to start might be where the tourists have already taken over and we do not fish much already.

Protecting areas works. Fish will get bigger and our catches will increase. It has been proven all over the world to work from Pacific island nations to the Mainland US.  Research if you can’t believe it, or e-mail us and we can get you some good info.

It does take some time for the reefs to recover; but it's worth the wait, and we aren't going anywhere… Let's show our kids that we care so that they and their families have big fish to brag about when they are Kupuna! If you have some good ideas about marine managed areas please let us know. 

 

There are cruise ships on Kauai 6-7 days a week.  The Super Ferry will bring over fishers from the other islands to pillage our reefs.  Gill nets with illegal mesh sizes take small fish off the reef, and spearing fish with SCUBA gear at night can take the big ones…Changes must be made soon before it's too late. Protected areas can help both fishers and the tourist industry though education and awareness. 

How many times and how many ways can people keep saying the same thing about the ocean? Journalists have been writing about it for years...over and over again, trying new and creative ways of writing so they don't bore readers. News articles for the last 10 years all echo each other. Our ocean ecosystems are in trouble! The world's marine resources are in crisis. We all want the best for our seas, yet there is obvious and blatant disregard for the environment.

 

There is less forest, less fish, and less clean water. The land and the sea have changed; ask a Kupuna, a Hawaiian elder, if you don't believe it.  Our reefs must be cared for and regulated. Where are the Konohiki, the ancient Hawaiian caretakers of the land? Someone must be responsible for managing our resources. Areas must be set aside for young fish to grow. Areas must be set aside for subsistence fishing.

Luckily, it's not too late...yet!

 

We must act now (They also said that 10 years ago )! It all comes down to us preserving, protecting and restoring our resources for future generations.  All these resources are renewable. The wildlife all will come back if we nurture it. We must insure the health of our reefs. A living reef gives our islands life.

 

Reef ecosystems already have natural stress to deal with, which makes the reduction of human impacts incredibly important. Our Oceans cannot handle a buildup of toxic compounds made by humans, like PCB’s, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Our Oceans cannot withstand harvesting fish faster than they can replenish.  Coastal residents and businesses must monitor and regulate their own water pollution, which will also help with effective management of the marine environment. Alien species must be monitored and controlled, and all efforts must be made to halt the introduction of further species, which could upset the delicate balance on our reefs.

 

 If we want to continue using the ocean for our sustenance, we must be efficient in our use of it's resources for our long-term survival. We must prepare ocean communities for a time when they may be forced to utilize the coral reef to it's greatest potential.

 

Many current management practices restrict fishing, and focus on particular species or small groups of species. These strategies do not address the overall habitat associated with these species and are not appropriate for the long-term sustainability of resources.

 

Marine Managed areas are scientifically proven and culturally acceptable ways that we as a community can decide the fate of our resources. The framework is already in place and  has been tested across the globe.

 

People who use the ocean for sustenance decide and have the final say in the locations and sizes of these zones of protection.

 

Conservation of fisheries habitats are critical to sustain fisheries production. The fish and lobsters will return if we let them; bigger and more abundant. Diverse and extensive ocean habitats greatly influence the distribution and abundance of fish. Complex undisturbed habitats provide safe zones that allow interactions between many species and produce numerous and much larger fish.

 

The long term health of our families and our community is at stake. It is up to each one of us to make sure that our resources are plentiful.  Save Our Seas.

Note: You will hear this again and again until a change is made.  One person can make a difference.

Be aware. Be responsible. Be respectful.

 SOS@SaveOurSeas.Org