Damage to coastal water in Hawaii

[alikatoes]

I live in Hawaii and collect fish and inverts at least 3 days a week. As of late, we have seen 43 days of rain and thunderstorms. The runoff from the storms is at a record high (from the 22 years I have lived here) and seems to be fouling the ocean. In Waikiki there are signs up asking people not to swim becasue they had to divert raw sewage into a canal that opens into the sea. The reason I am posting this is becasue last night it was reported that a man is severly infected with a flesh eating something and may die (he got drunk and fell in the ocean). I feel bad for this guy, but when will it be safe again to get drunk and fall in the water?

When will fish collectors be able to get back in the water to supply the hobby? I am not going to dive for at least another week or so, and I dive far away from that sewage spill. My question to you hobbiest and retailers- How will this effect you and your supply? How will the supply effect the price? Perhaps the most important question- How will the runoff and sewage effect the reefs?

The city and county shouldnt be blamed, nor am I looking for a scapegoat. It was just bad weather but how will it effect us all?

[Atomahawk]

Generally speaking it's hard to really tell how it will effect stores and your ability to dive depends on a lot of things. I'm not familiar with all of the dive sights in the islands but how the sewage will effect your trade will depend mostly on the oceans current and tides at the time. If I took your area Waikiki the currents are going to be a problem as they run east to west and looking at the tide levels you guys get it doesn't look to good.

Dilution, concentration and the kind of sewage will also play a role at how things are effected. Raw sewage is a very broad term, it depends on how environmentally conscious people are and what local laws allow to be disposed of in waste waters.

Corals and inverts can’t move, if the current push’s high enough concentrations of organic and chemical compounds in a certain area most likely that area will be hard hit. Fish can sense pretty low levels of pollution and most can swim to other area’s, but depending at what life stage their at some may instinctively stay and die there rather than run so to speak. Others just won’t move simply because it’s not in their nature clowns, gobies and seahorses just won’t move far from home. Tangs, triggers and butterflies will most likely move, depending on age and type.

There are so many variables involved I really don’t think it’s feasible to predict short or long term effects on fish stocks and reef damage. I just hope things turn out ok.

BTW don’t walk on the beach bare foot, wear rubber boots if you must or avoid the beach all together. Knowing how politicians are, they will down play this!

[alikatoes]

They opened up the beaches in waikiki, seems premature. The state didnt really comment but local doctors are saying that the sand has great potential for bacteria.

I dont know how you define raw sewage, but what happened was the regular sewage line was clogged because of the crazy weather we been having, and it was diverted to a canal in waikiki that ends at ala wai harbour.

I dive waikiki frequently, but I wont anymore. I will likley take 1-3 weeks away and return to see how the fish and coral are doing. I dont think this particular sewage spill will have a great lag on hawaiian fish supply, but I think the 43ish days of rain and storms we had will.

[Atomahawk]

Cant get any more raw than that if the sewage line got backed up that means everything and anything that the streets, homes business's and industry dumped in the system ended in the ocean.

I believe it's premature also, but that would depend on the currents and tides. Yes your right on the bacteria issue. And don't trust the local politiciens, they will lie every time.

Good luck and let us know what the status is in a bit, I'm intrested in how it turns out.

[DirtySouth056]

I understand the way you feel. I live in miami and frequently sewer lines break and contaminate the Ocean. Nobody seems to care about it, I enjoy diving and hope the reefs wont be affected to badly for future generations to enjoy.

[Hunterx]

Runnoff is not as bad as silt acumalation the worst that can happen is a large baterial bloom or alge bloom as you mentiond before. The sewage should disapate in a few weeks.

[SerranidTerror]

Part of the problem with Hawaii is that the sewage system is old and out dated. Unfortunately the state and even city and county of Honoulu don't have the money to fix them. Its kind of hard to budget money for such things when u have to take care of the likes of angry bus drivers that strike and want to get paid more than the police and firefighters. However 43 daysof rain will challenge any sewage system, particularly on an island. Unfortunately when I lived in Hawaii sewage spills seemed the norm, just like the water main breaks, and traffic on H-1

How will this bode for us mainlanders supply here? Well thats a tough question to answer. I would imagine it would hit us in a few species. Yellow tangs for instance, because thats one of Hawaii's biggest exports in the fish trade. I'd say flame angels but I don't know how they would get affected, since, due to being so popular, are a bit over fished and usually found in much deeper water off Oahu. As far as prices go I notice that pet shops tend to keep prices the same for as long as they can humanly afford it. So unless supply goes well down prices should not really sky rocket on livestock from Hawaii. On the plus side there are many more locations around the planet where fish come from so we should see no shortage of goodies for our tanks. Additionally we have more Hawaiian islands- unless Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Kauai are having the same problems?

However not to play all this down. It hurts me to hear such things happening as I'm only been separated from Oahu by about a year. I miss it, the people, and the wonderful ocean. I used to fish, spearfish, and collect there myself. Make sure you turn in your catch report at the end of the month and still feel lucky you live Hawaii .

Oh and if you don't mind me asking who do you sell to and what do you normally harvest? Do you free dive or scuba? Just curious.

[shrug1013]

I fell in love when I went to Hawaii!!!