Maui property full of fire ants

Maui Circuit Judge Peter T. Cahill on Friday granted an order prohibiting the movement of plant material and personal property in outdoor areas on a Haiku property infested with little fire ants.

Earlier this month, the state Department of Agriculture obtained a warrant to access the property at 82 Loomis St. in Haiku after the tenant refused to allow eradication crews to survey and treat the area.

Under the warrant, agriculture pest control personnel surveyed the 1.75-acre property on Sept. 12 and found little fire ants in potted plants, kalo patches and other vegetation, according to a department news release on Friday. Agriculture Department crews returned to the property on Tuesday and Wednesday to treat the infested areas.

Manta ray viewing rules

Proposed rules for the Makako Bay and Keauhou manta ray viewing sites in Kona will be discussed at a public information meeting set for 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Palamanui campus of Hawaii Community College.

Tour-related manta ray viewings have become so popular in recent years that has become unsustainable and unsafe, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Boating and Ocean Recreation Division.

The first part of the meeting will focus on the history of manta ray viewing on the Kona Coast. During the second part, Boating and Ocean Recreation Division officials will present its proposed management plan in detail and collect feedback from those attending the meeting.

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Star-Advertiser staff