Fish farm Fish farm ADVERTISING Opposition will persist Here we go again: The Hawaii Department of Health, despite receiving nothing but negative comments about the Hawaii Ocean Technology Inc. fish farm that has been planned for pristine offshore waters north
Fish farm
Opposition will persist
Here we go again: The Hawaii Department of Health, despite receiving nothing but negative comments about the Hawaii Ocean Technology Inc. fish farm that has been planned for pristine offshore waters north of Kawaihae, has issued a NPDES permit which determines there will be no pollution from this massive enterprise — which uses unproven technology.
This writer sent one of the negative comments to Mrs. Loretta Fuddy, director of the Department of Health, and never received the courtesy of a reply. The same letter was sent to William Aila, director of DLNR, and I did receive a reply to my objections.
Further, laughably, they denied all requests for a public hearing.
What do they have to hide?
All of this despite a petition delivered to DLNR with more than 1,400 signatures of mostly North Kohala residents, including many Native Hawaiians, objecting to this project for many reasons documented in the petition.
The big-money mainland interests backing this project, apparently an unidentified hedge fund, have no concerns for the environment; they are only interested in big bucks. But the record shows that other fish farms are terrible polluters, in British Columbia, Norway and Chile, among other locations.
Kona Blue Water, or whatever they are calling it this week, has reorganized several times, and, to the best of my knowledge, has never been profitable, despite large subsidies from state government. The environmental impact statement from Hawaii Ocean Technology Inc. is problematic and raises many questions.
The coalition of those of us who oppose this project, which still has several hurdles to jump, will continue to vigorously oppose its approval.
Bob Sterne
North Kohala
Christian ‘Taliban’
Comment offensive
I would like to respond to Mr Reese’s comment that right-wing Christians who support Rick Santorum are “like” the Taliban in the Middle East.
Well, Mr. Reese, I am a Christian and I take offense at being compared to the Taliban.
Several of our area churches have food-banks to help struggling families. How many do the Taliban have?
I personally volunteer time to work with over 30 high school and middle school youth on a weekly basis. We play games, provide meals and tell them about Jesus.
For the past nine years I have taken a week off of work (without pay) and go to camp with youth from Waikoloa. In addition I have spent the past five summers at a camp that provides precious family time for some of our troops returning from overseas deployment in the Middle East.
How many Taliban do that?
I support a 10-year-old in El Salvador so he can have food and an education.
How many Taliban do that?
Jesus’s message is one of unconditional love. I do not think that the people in the Middle East feel much love from the Taliban.
It is apparent that you have not my Jesus and I will pray that you do — because He already loves you.
Julie Simons
Waikoloa
