FRESH AIR

Snuffing out the smokes

President Barack Obama has signed an anti-smoking law that would allow the Food and Drug Administration to regulate what is put into cigarettes. A law that is aimed at curtailing smoking by teens.

A smoker who kicked the habit while on the campaign trail, Obama alluded to the difficulties of quitting.

It will be interesting to see just how successful the FDA will be in reducing cigarette use.

FISH TALES

Study shows sharks' stealthy skills

A study likening great white sharks to serial killers got lots of publicity for its researchers, but doesn't do any favors for the sharks. Great whites kill to survive. That they stalk their prey from afar, target the most vulnerable victims and learn from their mistakes makes them efficient hunters, not sociopathic sadists. But, hey, it's summer, when scary shark tales are guaranteed to emerge from the depths.

SOMETHING'S FISHY

Restocking woes worthy of worry for anglers

For many families, catfish fishing in Nuuanu Reservoir is a tradition.

There's just something about spending quality time outdoors with family and friends, brisk winds at your back, the threat of heavy Pali clouds looming overhead. Never mind that catching an actual catfish is, really, beside the point; sometimes, just hooking the lowly tilapia is enough to make the day.

As it turns out, tilapia might well become the star of the reservoir in a few years if the state shuts its Anuenue Fisheries Research Center, as reported. Budget woes are causing the state to redirect funds from the catfish hatchery/restocking program, to conservation efforts. Even without restock, fish experts say, the catfish won't be depleted for a while, given its healthy population in the reservoir and breeding ease. The catch? What happens in the long term remains to be seen.