Molokai Hunters to Manage their Resources

Hawaii Revised Statutes, Article 12; Section 7, clearly states its obligation to protect Hawaii’s Gathering Rights.

As our Community grows and our Economy changes, the Hawaiian Community, as well as its non-Hawaiian Community, have been faced with challenges that have limited our ability to teach our children safe and responsible hunting through hands-on education.

The Molokai Community has made numerous attempts in gaining access, permission, and assistance in managing deer, wild pig, and goat populations in order to accomplish 4 very important needs:

1. Erosion Control
2. Ungulate Monitoring and Control
3. Food and
4. Proper Safety Training for our children.

However, without reasonable cause, members of the Community have fallen upon deaf ears.

It is our belief, that our community has members who are well certified and capable leading our own eradications that are more strategically applied so to eliminate the negative effects caused by the Nature Conservancy’s careless management.

Nature Conservancy's efforts to Manage our resources on Molokai takes away the benefits from our community and pays outsiders to complete its task. Contrary to that, Molokai Hunters can assist in a management effort to save the meat to feed the community. At the same time, instead of paying outsiders who have no concern for our community, pay could be given to our well certified and capable hunters who can also train our younger generation.

By implementing our Molokai Hunters into the Nature Conservancy's Management process, it will allow our children, as well as adults, a time to hunt and avoid unsafe night poaching and entrance into privately owned properties. This situation is uncontrollable unless Nature Conservancy, Large Land Owners, and DLNR are willing to assist in our communities need for a proper time and place for open hunting.

As you can clearly see, it is in Molokai’s best interest to not only manage our deer, goat, and wild pig population, but also to provide proper and safe hunting techniques to our younger generation and supply our community with food to eat.

By signing this petition, we hereby agree that we as a Community are the best people to assist the Nature Conservancy and DLNR in the proper management of our Resources. We, the Community have spoken.

Mahalo!