QUESTION: What is the rule about fishing in even-numbered years and odd-numbered years near the Elks Club in Waikiki? We can't remember when it is OK and when it is not.

ANSWER: You can fish in the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area all through 2010 and in every even-numbered year.

To help restore the fish population, the area is closed to fishermen in odd-numbered years.

The area is under the management of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Aquatic Resources and extends from the Ewa (west) wall of the Waikiki Natatorium to the Diamond Head Lighthouse, and from the high-water mark out a minimum of 500 yards, “;or to the seaward edge of the fringing reef if one occurs beyond 500 yards.”;

You're allowed to take any legal-size marine life in season, but only by using a hook and line, throw net, hand net to land hooked fish, spear during certain hours, or hand harvesting methods.

You are prohibited from using any spear between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., or any trap or net other than a throw net or hand net.

Also, you can't fish at any time within the Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District, which is adjacent to the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area.

That conservation area is Ewa of the fisheries area, extending from the Waikiki groin at the end of Kapahulu Avenue to the Ewa wall of the Natatorium, and from the high-water mark seaward a distance of 500 yards or to the edge of the fringing reef, whichever is greater.

For more information about both the fisheries and conservation areas, go to hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar.

QUESTION: There are many organizations collecting for the food bank, but do you know of any that are interested in donations of canned cat food? These are recent purchases of nationally known brands; unfortunately, my felines are (like many cats) selective, and they don't like some of my choices.

ANSWER: If you contact any pet shelter, it would probably welcome your donation.

Your question came in just before the Star-Bulletin Web site ran a New York Times story about moves to set up pet food banks across the nation. See hsblinks.com/26e.

Among those taking part is the Petco Foundation, the charitable arm of the pet store chain.

In Honolulu the two Petco Stores, in Pearl City and Kapolei, accept donations of cat and dog food, which they pass on to three specific organizations.

“;We donate cat food directly to Joey's Feline Friends, and we donate dog food either to Canine Kokua in Waianae or the OSPCA (Oahu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in Kapolei,”; said Jeff Coble, general manager of Petco in Pearl City.

There are no bins to drop off the donations — just take them to the checkout counter, where they are distributed every weekend, he said.

QUESTION: Do you still have a list of places a person can donate used, working cell phones?

ANSWER: The city's opala.org Web site is a good resource on where you can recycle various items.

For cell phones, local options include Sprint Project Connect, Special Olympics Hawaii, and Call2Recycle.

———

Write to “;Kokua Line”; at Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).