Reefs, vital for culture, recreation, tourism and storm surge protection, are threatened by rising temperatures, pollution and acidification.

Two bills moving in the Legislature, House Bill 1457 and Senate Bill 1240, may address longstanding concerns about the impacts of commercial aquarium trade on Hawaii reef health and wildlife. Many people testifying asked the state to make existing permits non-transferable and stop issuing new ones.

The trade is poorly regulated with no limit on permits, no environmental review, no real enforcement. In contrast, corals and rocks are protected.

Aquarium collectors extract herbivores, imperative to reef balance and resiliency; Hawaii’s narrow fringing reef is the world’s third-largest source. Catch reports show 650,000 animals are extracted on average, per year; catch report compliance is known to be low. Most wildlife die within one year of capture.

Reefs and wildlife provide valuable local economic benefits we cannot lose. We must take action fast. Let’s get it right.

Susanne Spiessberger

Manoa

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Give women info on counseling

If the Star-Advertiser were a person, it would have a serious case of cognitive dissonance.

Your editorial on International Women’s Day supported the bill to force religious pregnancy help centers to advertise abortion (“Don’t restrict info on women’s health,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, March 8). You seem to assume, with no evidence, that the centers lie to women, and that no one knows how to access abortion in Hawaii. If you think that, ask some high school girls.

Yet the same day, Lee Cataluna’s column about a domestic violence bill shows that women already know how to get information for help without the aid of their hairdressers (“Domestic violence bill has traces of sexism,” Star-Advertiser, March 8).

If the Hawaii Legislative Women’s Caucus was sincere about women needing information, its bill would require hospitals, OB-GYN doctors and Planned Parenthood to post signs advertising the availability of non-judgmental care and counseling at the religious centers which, by the way, are the only ones to offer post-abortion counseling.

Carol R. White

Makiki

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Waikiki shouldn’t be for tourists only

Once again, Oahu’s residents are being squeezed out of Waikiki by groups who think making money from parking fees is the future of our city.

If it isn’t the city seeking to impose parking meter fees for Ala Wai Boulevard, it’s a group called the Waikiki Transportation Management Association.

Who are these people? Are they going to pressure our City Council into choking off public access to the Waikiki area? If they get their way and the parking meter tax is doubled with extended chargeable hours, does that really solve anything?

Local families will be hit with draconian charges just to enjoy entertainment in Waikiki. Slowly, an economic wall is being built to keep Waikiki for tourists only. This kind of money-driven idea at the expense of the public needs to be stopped right now.

John Shockley

Free Access Coalition

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U.S. can’t survive political divisiveness

During last year’s presidential election, Donald Trump successfully promoted and implemented the strategy of “divide and conquer.” During the primary and general election campaigns, most political leaders, commentators, highly paid political consultants and others were predicting that Trump would not get very far with his “crazy” tactics of attacking and dividing the country with his “outrageous” positions.

Sadly, Trump’s “divide and conquer” strategy worked.

Unfortunately, Trump now is learning the hard way that “divide and conquer” does not apply or work when you are the leader of the greatest democracy in the world. Winning an election is one thing; leading a nation is another. Trying to govern our country by dividing its people not only will lead to the weakening and destabilization of our great nation, it will eventually lead to its destruction as the leader of the free world.

In Mark 3:24-25, Jesus warned the Pharisees: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

William T. Kinaka

Wailuku, Maui

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Potholes on Pali lead to dangerous driving

The Pali Highway leading down to Nuuanu, as well as the road from Nuuanu going up the Pali to Kailua and Kaneohe, is so terrible, with potholes and uneven roads.

It is very dangerous at times when trying to avoid these potholes — swerving back and forth, sometimes coming so close to the next vehicle trying to avoid the potholes.

I can’t understand why the state doesn’t take responsibility and fix the problem before there is an accident that could result in a fatality.

This highway is one of our major highways that run from the Windward side to the Leeward side of our island.

We need to keep it safe for our commuters who pay taxes to use the Pali. Potholes damage our vehicles.

I hope something will be done concerning this major problem.

Frank Rodrigues

Kailua