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Ban on pet meat
would be humane

THE ISSUE The Legislature is considering a bill that would make it a felony to kill a dog or cat for human consumption.

THE notion that anyone in Hawaii would consider killing dogs and cats for meat was so repugnant that a legal prohibition was considered unnecessary until reports of such activity surfaced last year. Bans have been adopted in countries where eating meat from dogs and cats was previously considered part of the culture, and such a ban is appropriate in Hawaii.

The Hawaiian Human Society reported in August that it received complaints in Kalihi, Waianae and downtown Honolulu about sales of dog meat from a van and the killing of stolen dogs whose meat was eaten. Most people did not realize -- the idea never entered their minds -- that it is legal in Hawaii to kill and eat one's own dog if the death by itself is humane.

In countries where dogs are eaten, the humane killing of animals destined for the dinner table is not typically the case. Dogs reportedly are beaten with pipes, bats or hammers and then electrocuted in order to tenderize the meat.

The House Judiciary Committee has approved a proposal by Rep. Glenn Wakai that would make killing, distributing or purchasing a dog or cat for human consumption a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Rep. Alex Sonson voted for the bill but expressed reservations, saying it "promotes the perpetuation of a stereotype that Filipinos and Koreans eat dog."

Actually, both South Korea and the Philippines have taken actions to combat the consumption of dog meat. The Philippines enacted a law six years go banning the dog meat trade, but the problem persists; police say they have saved more than 2,000 dogs in recent years. South Korea has banned the sale of dog meat, but its dog meat industry still is estimated to encompass 6,000 restaurants and 10 percent of the people.

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Ocean cleanup should be
a priority for funding

THE ISSUE Senator Inouye has introduced a bill to pay for removal of marine debris and prevent damage to the nation's ocean ecosystem.

MARINE debris, or "rubbish" in the ocean, as Senator Inouye calls it, has been a chronic problem in Hawaii for more than half a century, yet little national attention and all too few dollars have been devoted to its cleanup and prevention.

The senator, who has been outspoken about the issue, has proposed a bill to spend $50 million over five years to remove some of the thousands of tons of nets, lines, floaters, rope and other junk from the ocean and shores. Inouye's proposal, introduced with his long-time Senate ally, Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska, would also provide $25 million for the Coast Guard to enforce laws on ship-based pollution.

The $75 million for a nationwide effort is a fraction of what is probably needed. The amount of debris is overwhelming. From 1995 through 2003, 320 tons of discarded fishing equipment were removed from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands alone. In one summer, more than 120 tons of nets were cut loose from coral reefs there.

But the bill is a good step toward clearing the debris that threatens and kills countless seals, whales, dolphins, turtles and seabirds and damages coral reefs and entire ocean ecosystem.

For Hawaii, the problem is magnified because ocean currents tow in debris from across the Pacific Rim. In particular danger are the northwestern islands where endangered animals take refuge and that contain close to 70 percent of the coral reefs in the nation. Damage to the reef ecosystem also would have a economic effect since they are nursery habitat for commercially desirable fish.

Inouye's funding measure has not yet received indications of support from the Bush administration, which has proposed trimmed-down budgets for environmental programs. However, Inouye has always been successful in gaining funds for Hawaii and should be able to muscle through legislation that would benefit the state and the nation.