To have established protection for the population of sea turtles in the Hawaiian Islands only to have that work reversed for an unnecessary proposed change would be tragic and reflective of the naivete with which so many decisions are made in today's world.
The sea turtles in Hawaii are immeasurably valuable to the aesthetics, financial and spiritual balance of the Hawaiian Islands and the population of Hawaii, but not as a food source.
It is a sad reality for animal lovers that an invasive species, such as the beautiful axis deer, need to be hunted and culled to control the devastating impact that they have on native and non-native flora and fauna. But, the unnatural action of introducing a species often necessitates an unnatural response.
On the other hand, it is a distortion of reality to propose that the ancient honu, a true native of the Hawaiian Islands, should be removed from protected status and allowed to be killed for food. It is especially disturbing considering that any compromise would likely involve catch limits that would be nearly impossible to enforce, given our severely limited natural resource enforcement presence in Hawaii.
Save the turtles, please.
Lynley Dows
Kihei
