HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0175.017 2022-2024 Comm. -7�
From: Tony S
s
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2023 6:21 AM
To: Council Testimony =a
Subject: Pohoiki boat ramp reso 91-23 � 7
My name is Tony Sylva and I have been fishing out of pohoiki since I was a kid.
I have 2 daughters Ku'uipo and Kulia they both have been fishing out of pohoiki boat ramp before they could walk-
Pohoiki was like our second home we went almost every day. I normally fish every day rather it was a 2 hour trip o 4 hour
trip.Sometimes I had extended trips that would last for 2 days.On weekends was family day I would take my kids and their
cousins out bottom fishing or run to kahena buoy for some ahi or mahi-mahi.
With no pohoiki I have to launch out of Hilo. My 2 hour trips are now 4 days.
I could be at the fishing grounds in minutes now it's a minimum 4 hours from Hilo to pohoiki.To get from Hilo to pohoiki you
have to cross the treacherous kumakahi point. Kumakahi in my opinion is the second roughest point on the Hawaii island next
to opolu point.
My fishing expenses for a single fishing trip used to range from$120.00-$250.00.
Now my trip is a minimum$500.00 and can cost up to$800.00 my maintenance now on my boat quadruple since my trips are
so many hours longer. I have made extensive modifications to my boat so it can make the long drive that is required now to
make any money fishing from Hilo boat ramp.
I no longer can go on single day trips because it is not affordable I have to take 4 day trips at a time. Now I don't see my girls
for days at a time because I have to make my trips count. My daughters don't go out on the boat anymore because I don't trust
taking them far out . Hilo doesn't have the fishing grounds like Pohoiki.
I cannot believe that farmers have gone back to farming because there roads have been restored. Most of the community that
couldn't access their houses are now at home. Us pohoiki fishermen are just screwed with the state taking the longest possible
way to get us a chance at getting back to work out of pohoiki. How much longer will it take to Try Something. More then half
of the guys I know who used to fish out of pohoiki have sold their boats because they could not make money out of Hilo boat
ramp. Some of those guys boats just couldn't make the long treacherous drive back to the fishing grounds we all know and
depend on to survive as fishermen.
Pohoiki boat ramp was not only valuable to us fishermen but also a emergency access if lava crossed the roads and puna has
no access to Hilo. In the 2018 eruption that almost happened we got lucky and lava did not cross the main highway. I really
hope we the fishermen have a chance at launching out of pohoiki in the next year.
Sent from my Phone
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