Hawai‘i Fishing Groups Charge Federal Agency With Improper And Dishonest Conduct

Charges Include "Improper and Illegal Congressional Effort To Ease Fishing Restrictions In Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument"

Oahu Game Fish Club & Wai`anae Boat Fishing Club
Wai`anae Hawai`i
PRESS RELEASE
DECEMBER, 21 2006

CONTACT: WILLIAM AILA @ 808-330-0376
ailaw001@hawaii.rr.com

WAI`ANAE, HAWAI`I -- Two Hawai`i fishing organizations, the Oahu Game Fish Club and the Waianae Fishing Club have filed new detailed allegations with the United States Department of Commerce Inspector General (IG) related to their November, 2005 request for a federal investigation of the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council (aka WESPAC) and the organization’s Executive Director, Kitty Simonds. Their request is supported by a detailed report which provides a specific basis for the new request.

The two group's 2005 complaint and report described, "a pattern of improper and dishonest conduct in a campaign by Wespac to undermine presidential executive orders and laws guiding the establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve and a related proposal to designate the area a marine sanctuary." The 2005 charges included, "Actions that may have violated the law include a refusal to follow the law, improper lobbying by employees of a federal agency, misuse of federal funds, and manipulations of rules and regulations regarding public participation."

In a cover letter dated December 18, 2006, William Aila, spokesman for the Waianae Boat Fishing Club and the Oahu Game Fishing Club said, "…we ask that you investigate whether Ms. Simonds’ statements or WESPAC’s actions related to planning or implementing a congressional strategy to weaken such regulations are in line with the law and federal standards of conduct, and take whatever action you can to prevent executive branch employees and this executive branch entity from undermining public confidence in the fishery management system and the protections provided to the NWHI by the President of the United States."

This is not the first time WESPAC’s activities regarding the fisheries of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have generated controversy. A WESPAC managed lobster fishery in those islands collapsed and had to be ordered closed by federal court order. More recently, scientists have raised questions about the role of WESPAC fisheries have played in the continuing decline of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Executive Director, Kitty Simonds has been a lightening rod for criticism. Simonds $187,469 annual salary exceeds that of the US Secretary of Commerce ($180,100) and the Director of the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration ($162,100), and "…is equal to almost one-third to annual revenue from all current NWHI fisheries."

WESPAC is an advisory group of citizens and government officials appointed by the US Secretary of Commerce to make recommendations on fisheries policy for Hawai'i and the US Western Pacific Trust territories. It is one of eight such entities in the US.

The Office of the Inspector General within the US Department of Commerce is responsible for internal auditing, monitoring and oversight of the department and conducts investigations designed to identify mismanagement, waste, fraud and illegal activities.

The 30-year old Oahu Game Fish Club and the Waianae Boat Fishing Club represent a wide spectrum of recreational, commercial, and subsistence fishermen in Hawai`i.

The cover letter, detailed report, and the 2005 filings and attachments may be viewed and downloaded @ http://www.scottfoster.org/wespac

NWHI NETWORK DIRECTOR "SHOCKED" BY NEW ALLEGATIONS AGAINST FEDERAL AGENCY
Recent Actions By Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) Questioned

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Network
December, 21, 2006

CONTACT:
Keiko Bonk, NWHI Network Campaign Director @ 808-734-4234 & (Cell) 808-938-6888 or nwhibonk@earthlink.net

HONOLULU: December, 21, 2006 — The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Network (NWHI Network) a coalition of local and national cultural, fishing, conservation, & science based non-profit organizations responded with deep concern today to the allegations from two local fishing and boating organizations that the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) has congressional plans to weaken the protections provided to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by the President of the United States in June 2006 — when the area was proclaimed a National Monument. NWHI Network Campaign Director Keiko Bonk said, "I am shocked and sincerely concerned that a federal government agency is undermining the protection of Hawaii's precious marine resources."

The Oahu Game Fish Club and the Waianae Boat Fishing Club submitted a 2nd letter of complaint this week to the United States Inspector General (IG) at the Department of Commerce with information documenting WESPAC's efforts to counter the intent of the NWHI Marine National Monument. Bonk said "it took nearly 100 years of local and national effort by six U. S. Presidents and the intensive grassroots campaign in Hawai`i over the last six years to convince policy makers to create a no-take area in this pristine and unique wilderness. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is one of the last predator-dominated reef ecosystems in the world and we should be proud of our leaders responsible action to save this precious place. Let's not go backward as responsible stewards of the aina."

Bonk paraphrased Nainoa Thompson, one of Hawaii's Living Cultural Treasures, recalling his comments during his recent advocacy to protect the Northwestern Hawaiian islands, "If we can't protect this sacred place, then what is left of the culture and spirit of Hawai`i to perpetuate for many generations to come?"

The NWHI Network formed two years ago to assist the state and national campaign to protect the NW Hawaiian archipelago. WESPAC is a federally funded agency and it was the ONLY vocal adversary in the many years of public planning for the protected reserve. The proclamation of the NWHI Marine National Monument came from as a long community planning process. People worked tirelessly volunteering to build a coalition of support for the "full" protection of this place.

WESPAC rationalizes its opposition for protection in the defense of a handful of commercial fishing permits in the monument waters. The fishermen holding these permits were divided on a proposed buy-out of their fishing rights recently offered by a local negotiating team with money raised from non-profit conservation organizations such as the Pew Charitable Trusts. The fishermen rejected the private buyout of the fishing permits. The Monument proclamation gives the fishermen a 5-year grace period to stop fishing in the Monument waters.

The NW Hawaiian Islands Network is a collaboration of six non-profit groups based in Hawai'i and the mainland including: Hawai`i Audubon Society, Na Imi Pono, Hawai`i Fishing and Boating Association, Snorkel Bob Foundation, The Ocean Conservancy, and Marine Conservation Biology Institute.

Information on the NWHI Network can be found at www.nwhinetwork.net