2023_09_19 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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especially here – right outside of Hilo on the coastline – I see boats coming in every night and just raking and we don’t really know who these people are and I think that’s the one thing that’s kinda new for the Island – that there’s so many people with boats that live here now that can go do anything and the local fishermen in the area – they cannot regulate these areas on their own anymore – kinda just like being invaded. Before, a long time ago down Kau – people used to get their boats shot at if you weren’t from the area and that’s how they used to regulate it down there. But things changed now and even Kau has an influx of, you know, hundreds of boats coming into Milolii to South Point and so I don’t want to ban the sale of this either – that’s how my family makes their money, but I don’t really know how to – I don’t know what to do about management of this. So, I think banning of the sale – I’m not for that. But the bag limits 100%. Maybe we can talk about having stricter rules to do with – what’s it called – boats registration – like make sure your boat is registered. Make sure you got your boat up to standards. Make sure you have your insurance for your watercrafts or however you choose to go out. If you’re, you know, what horsepower is an engine when it’s considered a watercraft cause then I have like a 8 horsepower that has no regulations. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel Sylvia Wan – how is that point related to the taking of lobsters? LT: Ah, cause that’s how you get out to get the lobsters on boats usually. SW: So how does regulating the boat affect the taking of the lobsters? LT: Well, it prevents a lot of people who cannot access the lobsters legally from taking their new watercraft in the area to go harvest. It’s kinda, you know, it’s just like having a – registering your car – you cannot go hunting in the zone if you don’t have a car to get you there and if you drive an illegal car or truck into the hunting zone, um, I don’t know, maybe that’s one way. AA: You can’t go penalize for that. LT: Yeah. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel Sylvia Wan. So just – I’m just trying to clarify what your – point you’re trying to make. So, what you’re saying is that if you want a regulation that requires boats that are hunting lobsters be registered. LT: Well, maybe, just watercrafts period because like even in Kona we have an excess of boats being out there and we don’t know if the boats are legal, if they’re safe, if they have trailers, are they moored someplace – where do these boats go? Who owns them? And so… 9