Program hopes
to save local reefsPollution and overuse have
depleted local populations of fish
As a lifelong diver, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa says he has seen changes in the reefs off his home island.
"The number of fish is greatly depleted in a lot of areas," he said. "Uhu, ulua, manini, almost everything." Also, sediment from land erosion has created "silt and muck that was never there before."
Arakawa joined other county mayors and Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday to announce an outreach program called "A Living Reef Gives Our Islands Life."
The public awareness campaign will seek during the coming year to educate Hawaii residents and visitors about the value of Hawaii's coral reefs and the most significant threats to their well-being: overfishing, land-based pollution, invasive algae overgrowth and recreational overuse.
"All the federal, state and county agencies, researchers and nonprofits are working to be part of this (outreach initiative) and rally together," said Aulani Wilhelm, assistant manager of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve.
"The coral reefs and the ocean, people tend to take for granted. They know it's important, but they might think about it later," Wilhelm said.
More than 40 groups have formed the Hawaii Coral Reef Outreach Network, which designated the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Aquatic Resources as the lead agency and also hired the communications firm Pineapple Tweed for $20,000 to help manage the initiative.
The Web site of the effort -- www.hawaiireef.org -- went online yesterday. It offers basic information about Hawaii's coral reefs, lists public events like beach cleanups, and links to educational resources for teachers and to dozens of government, research and private organizations that are working to preserve and enhance the state's living reefs.
It also announces a contest for businesses and community groups that are doing good things to help Hawaii's coral reefs during 2003 and 2004.
Outreach efforts are to include public service announcements for television, radio and hotel room channels, plus items like tote bags, stickers and information displays that will be made available to interested businesses or organizations.
"I'm so glad of this, I want to jump up and down and yell hooray," Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim said in endorsing the effort yesterday.