In talking about Neighbor Island protests against the Superferry, Gov. Linda Lingle said, "Some people just don't like change."

Which is true. Some people don't.

But to sum up opposition to the Superferry this way is dismissive of deep fears that run through the community, fears that even some of the folks with the big smiles, backpacks and Dramamine boarding the Superferry carry in their hearts.

It goes beyond the traffic or the whales or the invasive species. It has to do with the changes that have already swept through precious places, things we had no power to stop, changes that were in the name of progress or commerce that forever took away a quiet beach, a peaceful country drive, a wide expanse of wild land and a thousand other things that will never live again.

Sure, some people are really worked up about the whales. Nobody wants to see the whales get whacked. It happens enough already.

And invasive species are a serious worry. There's already gobs of weird-looking limu on Kihei beaches that weren't around 10 years ago. Can't make ogo kim chee with that. Can't make limu poke. What you gonna do?

Traffic is terrible on O'ahu, horrible on Maui and getting worse all the time on Kaua'i. There is no enjoyable holoholo ka'a anymore. Everything is a fight to get there and a contest to find parking.

And then there are all the other things: the O'ahu homeless beach camps spreading to the Neighbor Islands; weekend warriors coming over with their off-roaders and scoring maile and opihi, making the Neighbor Islands as depleted as much of O'ahu is; the growth of "support services" for Superferry travelers, like motels, taxis, long-term storage for boats and cars; and the fears that all the problems are getting worse.

Superferry may be just one part of this, but it is a part that still can be controlled and made to answer for its impact. It is easier to get worked up, grab a surfboard and tread water in Nawiliwili Harbor than it is to fight the huge housing developments in communities that are being overbuilt. A big boat makes for a tangible symbol of things from someplace else unloading on our shores.

Lingle said, "We've never required an environmental assessment on one vessel in our state's history." Well, maybe we should — not with the intention of shutting anybody down, but with the goal of minimizing harm and mitigating hazards.

Of course, the airlines, cruise lines and barge lines would balk. Some people just don't like change.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.