State conservation officers cited two men Wednesday for illegally collecting opihi from the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District on Oahu’s North Shore.

What You Need To Know

  • Following up on an anonymous tip, officers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement located the two men, who were in possession of 235 pieces of opihi
  • It is illegal to take any mollusk from the MLCD, a protected area.
  • The pair were cited and will be required to appear on petty misdemeanor charges in Wahiawa District Court on May 13.
  • Pupukea MLCD extends from the south end of Waimea Bay to Shark's Cove to the north. 

 

Following up on an anonymous tip, officers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement located the two men — a 53-year-old Wahiawa resident and a 65-year-old Ewa Beach resident — who were in possession of 235 pieces of opihi.

It is illegal to take any mollusk from the MLCD, a protected area.

The pair were cited and will be required to appear on petty misdemeanor charges in Wahiawa District Court on May 13.

 “Activities in marine protected areas throughout the state, including the Pūpūkea MLCD, are highly restrictive to protect aquatic resources,” said

DOCARE chief Jason Redulla. “These areas have signs posted informing people of these restrictions. We remind everyone to follow the rules and restrictions to avoid being cited or arrested.”  

Sites included in the Marine Life Conservation District Program are subject to the highest level of resource protection to allow fish and other aquatic life to grow larger and produce more offspring. Pupukea MLCD extends the south end of Waimea Bay to Shark's Cove to the north. 

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.