HONOLULU — Last weekend a man sent DLNR Chair Suzanne Case photographs of two hammerhead sharks, left dead near the Heeia Small Boat Harbor on windward Oahu. It’s impossible to determine how they died. Were they hooked and discarded? Were they caught up in a net? Did someone kill them illegally? This is exactly the kind of situation the DLNR hopes people will report immediately using its new DLNRTip app.
The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) launched the new app to help people connect directly with conservation officers, view alerts, and submit anonymous tips from smartphones.
Developed by tip411, the DLNRTip app encourages people to provide DOCARE with factual information leading to the arrest of anyone who poaches or harasses protected wildlife species, pollutes, or violates any state conservation resources rules, the agency announced in a press release.
Around 1,400 communities around the country are currently using the application developed by and managed by tip411. DLNRTip is available for download for free via the Google Play Store, iTunes App Store, or by visiting the DOCARE website at dlnr.hawaii.gov/docare.