2022_12_13 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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AA: Stanley? You got to state your name, ah Stanley. SM: Oh, Stanley Mendes. On the Hilo side of the park about how far? KS: I’m not exactly sure cause Ian’s the one that put up the signs, but I think it goes until – you know how the road the Daniel K. Inouye Highway kind of pinches closer to the fence? I think that’s kind of the area where it’s gonna end but I’m not exactly sure yet. SM: OK. Thank you. KS: Yeah, you’re welcome. AA: OK. Any other comments for Kanalu? None? OK. Thank you, Kanalu. KS: All right, thanks you guys. AA: We’ll get together and discuss this \[unclear\] changes, yeah. Moving on to presentation, section b – Brian Valencia – a local business owner will speak \[unclear\] related to the tourist operations, problems, I also tried to invite John Kaiapo from NARS but he wasn’t available to make this meeting so we’ll probably bring him in later on. So Brian, if you’re available you may speak. b. Brian Balancio a local Business owner will speak on the current manta ray issues and related tourist operations problems. BV: Can you hear me? SW: Yes, can you please state your name for the record? BV: Yeah, I’m Brian Keoni Valencia. I’m gonna talk about the \[unclear\] proposals for the safety of the people and the manta rays. Um, just gonna start a little bit about instruction on who I am. I’m Brian and I’m a third generation commercial fisherman – I’ve been launching out of Keauhou Harbor for about 30 years now and I’ve been a licensing captain for about 20 plus years. I’m here today to share a little bit more of my concern about the new rules. They’re putting in – I do a lot of stuff for the kids for Aloha Maps, which is a non-profit, we take local kids out – they can’t afford to go view manta rays and can’t afford to do certain things – not just Hawaiian kids but any kid, you know, any local kid. We take them out on Aloha Maps with two Aloha Maps and we view the manta rays with them, and we educate them on manta rays. We let them know about them the hahalua and, everything that they’re there for and another thing to is the biggest thing that concerns me is these new rules that they came up with they want to put in 13 moorings. One mooring is going to be for \[unclear\] and then 12 moorings for commercial. I totally disagree. I see big safety concerns especially being a commercial fisherman knowing the currents, tides and the way things work out there. It’s not a lake out there, and it’s never gonna be a lake and current will change with the tide, things like that. Another thing that I wanna address is, they want to take away live boating which is another big safety concern for me, live boating is really safe and you can be right there with your people if anything’s happening I’ll get little bit back to that in a little bit but these moorings I don’t think they’re good for the manta rays. They’re gonna put \[unclear\] they want 12-13 moorings in – I think they shouldn’t put any in. There’s 21