2015-06-22 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes—June 22, 2015 thing is that they're still the managers —they still need to figure it out and we should be supporting them, so... You know, I've got a target on my back for things I've said or done — but as long as I think we're all moving in some direction — better than nothing, because I think nothing we end up with nothing in the end. So and just personally, you know, I've been actively working on solutions, but I need better support, I need more commitment. I can't, we can't do these ourselves and everybody else here —Tony who I replaced has been doing a lot of stuff— but these things just —they just kinda get slammed down —we don't get nowhere —just personally I stand committed to trying — I don't even go hunting anymore. I've probably hunted four hours this whole year on this island. But it's all because I can't show up in a hunter ed class and look at all those kids and think there's not going to be anything there if we don't do something so that's why I'm here. But there's my presentation. You got my contact there. Sometimes these things go public so people can just grab your info and contact me so that's why I put it on this slide. But I just want to make a difference and hopefully this will set the tone for something that we can have a little bit of honest discussion and some respect, at least. I know people are frustrated and whatever but let's work together and let's figure out where we can have some synergies. That's the presentation. Thank you guys very much. TL: Thank you Ryan. That was pretty inciteful presentation. And one of the things that I think we can take away from this presentation is — and we talked about it a little bit too — is what value do our game animals have for us here in Hawaii and I think Miss Case mentioned something about separate but equal. And that is something that we need to be working upon here is —where do our game animals sit. You know, we've submitted a series of questions to the DLNR and to Chairperson Case. This evening we'd like to go over some of them. I'd like to preface though some of that— is that we have [sounds like Rory Buchanan] here from Molokai. You know, Molokai gets 40% of their meals from subsistence sources whether it be hunting or fishing or stuff that they grow in their back yard. There was a study done in 2012 here on the Big Island by the University of Hawaii where they found that at least 400,000 pounds of game is harvested annually here and that number could actually go up to a million pounds of game, actually. And all of these animals are basically in your care. You act as trustees, so to speak, for the people of Hawaii. And we are your beneficiaries and Miss Case you and the Governor are the two main spoke persons, actually, for the DLNR. And on that I do and I do want to have you address this at—what is the Governor's view on the management and the harvest of our game. And you folks are —Willie-Joe and [unclear] can come up here to the table here and address these questions, you know, in the microphone here if you wouldn't mind. So we can start with that, yeah, and Deputy you can come with her or whoever you want to have Scott or somebody to field some of these... 8