Seals suffer when fishing rules ignored

Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the endangered Hawaiian monk seal population, now at about 1,400, has increased at a rate of 3 percent per year over the past three years. Marking a decade of progress since publication of its revised recovery program, NOAA declared 2017 the Year of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. The recent death of a 9-year-old seal that had become entangled in a fishing net in waters off the Leeward Coast is a sad setback.

Accidents happen, but state rules aim to minimize them. It’s unlawful to leave a lay net unattended for more than a half-hour; all threatened or endangered species must be released from entanglement; and lay nets may not be used for more than four hours during any set. After the end of one set, the same lay net may not be used again within 24 hours.

Vigilance in the fishing community and among beachgoers is needed to help our state-designated mammal thrive.

It’s time to bring a UFC event to Honolulu

West Side pride was in full force on Monday, when Max Holloway, now the undisputed UFC featherweight champ, and MMA fighter Yancy Medeiros came home to a hero’s welcome after their impressive victories in Rio de Janeiro last week. Surely Holloway’s victory — as well as the hundreds of UFC fans crowding the airport and lining the streets of Waianae — will be enough to convince UFC officials to hold a major event here in the islands. After all, local heroes draw enthusiastic sellout crowds when they perform here. Just ask Bruno Mars.