Poachers Busted/Recorded - Hate My New iPhone Though!

[Blesum]

Late this afternoon after my dive partner Derek asked me about Stand Up Paddle boards while at Sports Authority, I decided I would take mine out for a light work-out when I got home. Walked down to Kuli'Ou'Ou Beach Park (right by the Hawaii Kai boat ramp, just west of the channel and canoe house) which is has a creek mouth and noticed a few things...

Low tide.

Two guys with nets herding fish from ocean side towards the creek.

Orange floats strung across the narrow creek mouth.

One nicely dressed guy walking out of the "no trespassing" reserve that's off-limits to humans towards the two herding guys with a bucket and some food.

Quickly I thought about my choices:

A) Try calling DLNR on a Sunday after 5 PM. Bear in mind I'm deaf and it's next to impossible to make a normal phone call to a friend, much less try to call an government agency.

B) Rip the net out, tear it apart. Will they pile up on me? I hope so! They look weak and I've been itching to beat somebody or somebodys up all day (long story). Could this land me in jail? Oh yeah.

C) Text Derek and see how fast he can get here so he and I can take out our aggression on these guys and back up each other's stories in court if need be. Nah, gonna take too long and he's not on his motorcycle today.

D) Hide out and video all activities showing them catching/taking/killing fish - Will it accomplish anything?

E) Go up to them, videotaping the confrontation, get their faces recorded, get ready to wail on them if they touch me, inform them that they are breaking the law, force them to remove their nets, tell them that I better never see their faces around here again. Turn footage over to DLNR and post at HSD/BloodyDecks.

I went with last option. Only to find out afterwards that my iphone stops recording at the 1 minute and 15 seconds mark. What the F#$K? I don't have their faces recorded. So bummed. ARGH. iPhone SUCKS. As a sidenote, if anybody knows how to remove this limit or change the time limit, please let me know so this doesn't happen to me again.

Anyways, I walked up to them, told them that their lay net was a no-no and for them to get it out of the water right now or I would call on them. Meanwhile, I got in their faces and made sure their faces were very clear in my camera (as I thought I was recording) They were all, "okay, okay!" Nicely dressed guy immediately turned around and walked into the no-trepassing area with the bucket. Did not get to see what was in it. I stopped "recording".

The remaining two guys and I walked back to the creekmouth and I recorded them removing the net in case I needed to show that it was indeed theirs, that they touched it, that they packed it up. They both also left through the no-trepassing preserve area so I didn't get to record any vehicles or license plates.

YouTube- Lay Netting Poachers busted part 1

YouTube- Lay Netting Poachers busted part 2

I did what seemed to be the best thing I could think of at the time, but now regret not at least taking the net. I also regret not being more familiar with my new phone and it's limited capacity. I thought by having a 32gb model, memory would be a relative non-issue. My phone currently shows 29gb still being free.

At least no animals were harmed/caught by today's laynetting activity that I could see. Thoughts/suggestions?

Also I know there's a DLNR number to call - does anybody know if there's an DLNR number that I can text or email (for an immediate response) since calling won't work for me?

-Paul

P.S. For those that aren't aware - lay netting is illegal on all of the south shore between Hawaii Kai and Pearl Harbor, and also illegal at ALL creek/river mouths in Hawaii.

P.S.S. The reason I've beeen extra-pissed is because last week I found this exactly where those guys were standing when I approached them:
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e210/Blesum/rubbish/P1010137.jpg

[Slingingsteel]

Damn! you did the right thing. unfortunately you weren't able to get there faces... Anyways good job

Dylan

[cerobit]

wow, kudos to you. Yet another interesting factor of social media.

[LunkerBuster]

way to try and stand up for the oceans...that dead shark is really upsetting.

[jsdoorly]

Good job bruddah. it might be a good idea to do some sort of educational flyer about this to the local residents. I bet very few people even realize this is illegal. I got a good friend who lives on that canal, with a big pitbull, who enjoys that park often and could be another set of eyes and muscle.

[LunkerBuster]

sounds like a great idea there..education is the best preventative...i bet the pic of the dead shark would get people to pay attention too

[So-Cal Spearo]

Man what a sad situation.

This video almost being tears to my eyes. I grew up in Hawaii Kai, and many of my earliest memories are fishing right there at Kuli'Ou'Ou Beach Park. Holy shit I havent seen what that place looked like in 12 years. Are there still loads of iced out locals who hang out there? Cool guys for drug addicts.

Its F-ed up to see people trying to rape that area. I had once joked with my father about what would happen if you strung a net between two bridges there. Well apparently these kooks are doing it...I know there are lots of fish that cross that channel, we used to crab net right there all the time and catch all sorts of fish. Didnt know there were Sandbar Sharks though....guess my suspicions as a little kid not to go into the dark water were right hehe.

I hope these poachers get busted.

[jimglover1]

Awesome story and level headed handling of the situation. Would have loved a beat-down read though;)That kook in the pink shirt looked like he could use a bitch slap. Keep up the good work:thumps:

[sticknrelease]

They certainly weren't in any hurry! I think you got their faces well enough for them to be identified, try to pull a few still frames from the video. Well done Paul, next time give a little bitch slap and then start recording, it will be way more interesting footage :-)

[Slingingsteel]

They certainly weren't in any hurry! I think you got their faces well enough for them to be identified, try to pull a few still frames from the video. Well done Paul, next time give a little bitch slap and then start recording, it will be way more interesting footage :-)

HAHA this i agree with :thumps:

[njspearo]

nice paul. if i was there, those dudes would have been foughten by us!

[Linchpin]

Did you report it to DLNR anyway?