Opihi picker banned from Pupukea after illegal collecting
COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea.
1 /2 COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea.
COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea.
2 /2 COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea.
COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea.
COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea.
An Ewa Beach man has been barred from entering the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District on Oahu's North Shore after illegally taking dozens of opihi from the area, according to state officials.
On Tuesday, Environmental Court Judge Bryant Zane banned Armando Posadas, 65, of Ewa Beach, from entering Pupukea for six months as part of a sentence for illegally taking opihi from the conservation district in March.
Posadas accepted a plea deal which includes the six-month ban, $1, 000 in fines, and forfeiture of his equipment in addition to six months' probation and proof he complied with all terms by Nov. 18.
The offense is considered a petty misdemeanor, punishable by a $1, 000 fine and up to 30 days in jail.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said it may be the first case in which a judge has handed a violator a sentence with a 'geographic restriction.'
On March 26, DLNR's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers cited Posadas for illegally taking 55 opihi from the conservation district. DOCARE seized the 55 opihi as evidence, along with a knife and a 5-gallon bucket.
Posadas was one of that day, according to DLNR, for the possession of more than 200 pieces of opihi unlawfully collected from Pupukea.
The other man, Elmer Ceredon, a Wahiawa resident, has yet to stand trial for allegedly taking 203 opihi from Pupukea.
'Malama Pupukea-Waimea is grateful to the Department of the Attorney General Criminal Justice Division and DOCARE for their vigilant enforcement of the laws that protect the precious marine life of the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District, ' said Denise Antolini, chair of the community group, in a news release. 'The substantial fines and conditions imposed (Tuesday ) by the Hawaii Environmental Court in the Posadas case, as well as two additional MLCD cases that involved illegal fishing and /or harvesting of opihi in this state-protected marine reserve, show that these cases are being taken seriously by law enforcement and the courts.'
The Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District is one of 11 in the state where aquatic life is protected to the greatest extent possible, DLNR said, with regulations designed to allow fish and other aquatic species to grow larger and produce more offspring.
The boundary of the district stretches from the southern end of Waimea Bay up past Shark's Cove to Kulala Point.
'Under state law, Marine Life Conservation Districts enjoy the greatest level of protections for their unique and outstanding aquatic resources, ' said DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla. 'We're pleased with the dispositions in all these cases and hope this sends a strong message to the defendants and their circle of fishers that we take respect for the law in MLCDs seriously.'
Anyone who sees suspected resource violations is urged to call the 24-hour DOCARE Hotline at 643-DLNR or report it via the DLNRTip app.
4 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our.
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Opihi picker banned from Pupukea after illegal collecting
COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea. 1 /2 COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea. COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea. 2 /2 COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea. COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea. COURTESY DLNR A tray of opihi that was unlawfully collected from Pupukea. An Ewa Beach man has been barred from entering the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District on Oahu's North Shore after illegally taking dozens of opihi from the area, according to state officials. On Tuesday, Environmental Court Judge Bryant Zane banned Armando Posadas, 65, of Ewa Beach, from entering Pupukea for six months as part of a sentence for illegally taking opihi from the conservation district in March. Posadas accepted a plea deal which includes the six-month ban, $1, 000 in fines, and forfeiture of his equipment in addition to six months' probation and proof he complied with all terms by Nov. 18. The offense is considered a petty misdemeanor, punishable by a $1, 000 fine and up to 30 days in jail. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said it may be the first case in which a judge has handed a violator a sentence with a 'geographic restriction.' On March 26, DLNR's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers cited Posadas for illegally taking 55 opihi from the conservation district. DOCARE seized the 55 opihi as evidence, along with a knife and a 5-gallon bucket. Posadas was one of that day, according to DLNR, for the possession of more than 200 pieces of opihi unlawfully collected from Pupukea. The other man, Elmer Ceredon, a Wahiawa resident, has yet to stand trial for allegedly taking 203 opihi from Pupukea. 'Malama Pupukea-Waimea is grateful to the Department of the Attorney General Criminal Justice Division and DOCARE for their vigilant enforcement of the laws that protect the precious marine life of the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District, ' said Denise Antolini, chair of the community group, in a news release. 'The substantial fines and conditions imposed (Tuesday ) by the Hawaii Environmental Court in the Posadas case, as well as two additional MLCD cases that involved illegal fishing and /or harvesting of opihi in this state-protected marine reserve, show that these cases are being taken seriously by law enforcement and the courts.' The Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District is one of 11 in the state where aquatic life is protected to the greatest extent possible, DLNR said, with regulations designed to allow fish and other aquatic species to grow larger and produce more offspring. The boundary of the district stretches from the southern end of Waimea Bay up past Shark's Cove to Kulala Point. 'Under state law, Marine Life Conservation Districts enjoy the greatest level of protections for their unique and outstanding aquatic resources, ' said DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla. 'We're pleased with the dispositions in all these cases and hope this sends a strong message to the defendants and their circle of fishers that we take respect for the law in MLCDs seriously.' Anyone who sees suspected resource violations is urged to call the 24-hour DOCARE Hotline at 643-DLNR or report it via the DLNRTip app. 4 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
