Ni'ihau residents ask Lingle for assistance

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Ni'ihau residents yesterday took advantage of Gov. Linda Lingle's first visit there by asking the governor to help them with the depletion of their fish and 'opihi stock, which they said was caused in large part by outsiders.

Lingle, who took in an hour-long visit that included a lunch of kalua pig and carrots, promised to look into the matter. She went to the "Forbidden Island" following a morning tour of the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kaua'i.

"The people who live there ... have a subsistence lifestyle," Lingle said. "They can't run down to the supermarket when they want dinner. They go fishing."

Ni'ihau residents told the governor that an increasing number of outsiders have been fishing and picking 'opihi on the privately owned island. One woman said her family observed outsiders taking out 90 gallons of 'opihi.

"They're taking it obviously to go sell somewhere, and for the people of Ni'ihau, it's food for them," Lingle said.

One solution might be to designate the waters and shores of Ni'ihau a reserve and restrict who may take fish and other wildlife from there, Lingle said. But she added that she will need to consult with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and state lawyers about jurisdictional issues since the island is owned by the Robinson family.

"I don't know how the waters around a privately held island are considered under the law, but it's not an island like any other in the state," Lingle said. "That's something we need to take a look at."

Adding to the problem is the proliferation of Hawaiian monk seals on the island. Ni'ihau residents "mentioned that they do take a lot of fish," Lingle said.

Lingle said the side trip was a thrill for her and others on her staff, including chief of staff Bob Awana, senior policy advisor Randy Roth, communications advisor Lenny Klompus, state Adjutant General Robert G.F. Lee and Deputy Business and Economic Development Director Ray Jefferson. Also making the trip for the first time was Kaua'i Mayor Bryan Baptiste.

"What impressed me was that Hawaiian culture was intact there," Lee said.