HIRSA (Hawaiian Islands Recreational Scuba Association)

Share Booth Space With H.I.R.S.A at This Year's DEMA Show -

Share Our Booth at The 2010 DEMA Show in

Las Vegas, NV. November 17th - 20th

$700 (Click Here to Purchase)

USACOE Permit - GOOD NEWS! -

This is to let you know that the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) has issued the day-mooring Letter of Permission (permit) to the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) - DLNR for an additional 48 moorings statewide. We have not seen the actual permit document yet, nor the conditions that typically are included with the permit. DLNR has told me that the conditions are similar to the previous Letter of Permission.

The Division of Aquatic Resources is developing installation protocols that must be followed for the installation of the new moorings. We have not seen the protocols yet, but they are being developed from the Maintenance and Installation Manual developed by Malama Kai Foundation a few years ago.

Malama Kai Foundation (MKF) will be coordinating the volunteer effort to install the moorings and is forming a Day-Use Mooring Working Group to help with each island coordination and the statewide effort. The members of the working group will be announced soon. MKF has received $60,000 in settlement funds for coral damage from the Board of Land and Natural Resources to support this effort. These funds help the statewide installation effort and will reimburse some of the expenses for mooring installation.

We will be keep you up to date as we get more information on the permit and the members of the MKF day-use mooring working group. Its been a long wait, but now we can begin planning the implementation phase. Please pass this information on to anyone who is interested.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. More to come!

Thanks to all for your patience.

Aloha,

Terry

Department of Land and Natural Resources Meeting -

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold a public information meeting on Maui on Tuesday, March 30 to present to the Maui community the findings and recommendations of an independent federal investigation on damage caused to the Keawakapu reef last December. DLNR will be seeking public input on the recommendations and options for restoration of live coral in the future. The meeting will be held in Kihei, Maui at Kamali‘i Elementary School Cafeteria 180 Ke Alii Alanui Street, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Recreational Diving Safety Reminder - Approved January 2010 -

Issue.
Each year there are a number of accidents and fatalities involving skin and scuba diving. Many of these accidents can be attributed to divers not practicing basic diving safety principles and not being familiar with Hawaii’s unique diving locations.

Roi Roundup -

Invasive species are a big problem here in Hawaii. A wasp, smaller than the fingernail on your little finger, has nearly wiped out the native Wili-Wili trees, Miconia threatens the rainforests on the windward sides and on the reef, a single “roi” or blue spotted grouper kills and eats and estimated 146 native reef fish per year.

Last year, three “Roi Roundup” spearfishing tournaments were held here on Maui, killing roi (blue-spotted grouper), ta'ape (blue-lined snapper) and to'au (black-tailed snapper). The three species were introduced to Hawaiian waters in the 1950s to boost declining stocks for sport fishing, but never caught on as popular eating fish. For one thing, roi is a high-risk fish for ciguatera poisoning. All three are voracious predators that gorge on more desirable reef fish and compete for resources. Roi, which prey on juvenile parrotfish and surgeonfish, have become the dominant inshore predator in the main Hawaiian Islands. A University of Hawai'i study estimated that in a three-square-mile area off the Kona Coast, roi eat 99 tons of reef fish annually — the equivalent of 8.2 million fish.

664 of these predators were removed from the reefs around Maui in the three 2009 tournaments, saving an estimated 96,944 fish on Maui's reefs annually. The larger fish are used by UH scientists for ciguatera research, others went to the Maui Ocean Center aquarium to be used as shark food and the remaining fish were given to an organic farm to be used as fertilizer. Among the tournament sponsors were The Nature Conservancy, the County of Maui, Maui Sporting Goods, Hard Rock Café, and the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources.

This event will be expanding to other islands during 2010 and is looking for sponsors. Contact Tim@lahainadivers.com for more information.

HIRSA Industry Day -

The 7th annual Hawaiian Islands Recreational Scuba Association’s Industry Day was held in early February at the Outrigger on the Beach at Waikiki. With over 35 attendees, 2010 was the largest Industry Day ever.

The first featured speaker, Laura Walker of Bonier Corporation spoke on web based marketing, giving tips on how to find and use Google Analytics to fine tune your website. In addition, valuable information on using social networking to stay in contact with your divers, announce specials and generally build your brand awareness.
Another major topic of the day was presented by Terry O’Halleran of the Malama Kai Foundation and Emma Anders of DLNR, Aquatics Division regarding the Day Use Mooring Project. Funding has been promised and the permit for up to 52 new moorings statewide is progressing through the process. Installation trainings are being scheduled now for Kauai & Oahu. We will be updating information on this topic as it becomes available.

HIRSA Membership Renewal Time -

Easier than ever before, you can join or renew your HIRSA membership online! This year membership has even more value including a valuable banner ad promoting your business 24/7. Rewew online!

Harnessing recreational divers for the collection of sea turtle data around the Cayman Island -

Diving Friends and Colleagues in Oahu Waters: Here attached is a very interesting and recently published paper I wanted to share with all of you concerning the role of divers collecting information about sea turtles.

Your dives and eyes are of high value to folks like us (our research program) that are constantly searching for new information about all aspects of sea turtles throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Some of the most exciting, as well as curious, information we've received over the years has been from folks *just like you* that wrote to ask about something they saw underwater involving a sea turtle. So no inquiry is too small, we appreciate and will answer them all. Remembering that a photograph can worth a thousand words- although a photograph and the words are always the best. Please dive safe, Aloha,
George Balazs

Marine Turtle Research Program
NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
2570 Dole Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822-2396 USA
Tel:(808) 983-5733
Fax:(808) 983-2902
gbalazs@honlab.nmfs.hawaii.edu

Voluntary Standard for Environmentally Sustainable SCUBA Diving Practices in Hawaii -

Hawaiian Islands Recreational Scuba Association has adopted this new standard of pratice for the betterment of the unique Hawaiian reef system.

Voluntary Standards Ratified -

The Voluntary Standards were unanimously approved State wide by the HIRSA operators at the February 10th Industry Day meeting.
read the standard...