Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Network
Cascadia Times : Rogues of the Pacific
(available in pdf, 1.1MB)The Cascadia Times, is an award winning publication focusing on people and the environment in the Northwest. For nearly two years, Cascadia Times has been tracking an emerging story in Hawaii: the future of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and questionable activities to subvert that protection by the federally funded Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (WESPAC). In this special Spring 2006 issue the Cascadia Times focuses more fully on WESPAC and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and sheds additional light on the relationship between commercial fishing, government mismangement and protection of a globally significant coral reef ecosystem.
- 25% of the nation's budget for fishery management councils is spent in Hawaii & manage only 2% of the nation's fish (see issue, page 10).
- Two partners of the largest commercial fishing supply company in Hawaii, both of whom as federal appointees have helped write fishing regulations, have been cited and fined for violating those same fishing regulations six times in recent years (page 6).
- WESPAC uses federal funds generously for salaries (page 5), possible illegal lobbying (page 9) and other questionable activities (page 6).
- More than a decade of intransigence, stalling and denial by WESPAC and NOAA Fisheries in their efforts to protect a lobster fishery pushed the Hawaiian monk seal to the brink of extinction (page 16-19).
- WESPAC used federal funds to undermine and subvert the efforts of two presidents to protect the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (page 21).
As the most remote island chain in the world, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands represents one of the best chances globally to protect an intact coral reef ecosystem. Best of all, this uninhabited archipelago has little value for commercial extraction. Its best use is for research, education and future generations.
We hope you find the information in the Cascadia Times compelling reading. If you have further questions, please contact one of the groups representing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Network.