Mark Ladao

To reduce the amount of harmful invasive species in Hawaiʻi's native ecosystem, local agencies are asking the public not to dump aquarium coral, fish and other species into open water sources.

For hours on Tuesday, volunteers Jacob Stone and Jeovanney Gutierrez, along with a yacht club employee, were fishing trash from the water or putting it into a floating trap that was already filled with tree branches and other waste.

The state Department of Agriculture is holding an educational event this weekend about invasive and illegal species, with the hope that more people learn more about its Amnesty Program.

Ciara Kahahane said some of her priorities include improving water resource monitoring and building community trust. She said Hawaiʻi's most important water issue is climate change-driven water shortages.

There could be a push to pass a federal Farm Bill before President Joe Biden leaves office in January.

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has denied a contested case hearing over a 30-year water license for real estate company Alexander & Baldwin — a win for those who want to stop stream water diversion in East Maui.

The Honolulu Department of Transportation Services is proposing a $10 increase for adult monthly passes and a more than $110 increase for annual passes. The passes would cost $90 and $990, respectively. The youth monthly pass would increase from $40 to $45, and the annual pass would jump from $440 to $495.

The Hawaiʻi Ant Lab reported 19 new LFA sites on Oʻahu this year and eight new sites each on Maui and Kauaʻi. The invasive ant is already considered widespread on Hawaiʻi Island. Six of the newly infected sites on Kauaʻi are plant nurseries.

The Maui County Council is considering a measure asking the state Legislature to allow all types of birthing practices in Hawaiʻi.

The Navy is preparing for a large-scale removal effort of a problematic invasive coral that covers around 80 acres at Pearl Harbor. Unomia stolonifera is a species of “octocoral,” also known as “pulsing coral” or "stoloniferous fire coral." It was first detected in the harbor in 2020. HPRʻs Mark Ladao reports.