Editorial: Help for Hawaii’s fishing industry

When it comes Hawaii’s homegrown food sustainability, farming operations usually come to mind. But beyond farm aid, fish aid can’t be forgotten. That’s particularly true in Hawaii, the source of coveted quality catches such as tuna, billfish (swordfish and marlin), and open-ocean fish (mahimahi, ono and opah).

Just as farmers have been hard-hit by the months-long pandemic shutdown, so, too, have fishers and related operations. The shuttering of restaurants, seafood markets and other fish outlets have left some vessels inactive in Honolulu Harbor for 3-1/2 months, with about half of the workforce laid off. The COVID-19 lockdown has caused a 50% reduction in revenue for Hawaii longline vessels over the last four months, totaling losses of more than $20 million so far.

It’s important that this sector of Hawaii’s food supply not be forgotten. Enter the new “Fish to Dish” relief program, in which the city will invest $2.62 million of federal CARES Act funds to buoy the industry and local food security in a three-pronged approach. Aimed to launch Monday:

>> $1.68 million will go to the Hawaii Longline Association to help cover per-trip costs for 140 longline vessels — 10-15% of a vessel’s trip expenses, based on 28 vessel landings per week for three months.

>> $660,000 to create a Community Fish Distribution Program to buy and distribute nearly 110,000 pounds of fresh-fish filets — for 350,000 meals over five months — a collaboration with local wholesalers, the Hawaii Seafood Council and Hawaii Foodbank.

Indeed, food insecurity continues to be an alarming problem here, evidenced by the demand at giveaways since pandemic measures began in March. Surveys at recent food drives show that 78-83% of recipients were unemployed or furloughed because of COVID-19, noted Ron Mizutani, Hawaii Foodbank CEO. The Foodbank has distributed more than 2.1 million pounds of food over April, May and June — about 40,000 households and 150,000 people — and has 30-plus Oahu food drives planned this month.

>> $275,000 to the Honolulu fish auction (United Fishing Agency) at Pier 38 for COVID-related upgrades, such as installation of an air purification system for the auction floor, an automated auction system to minimize exposure of buyers and workers, and a freezer retrofit to increase fish shelf-life during depressed market conditions.

So many industries are hurting now, from farm to table, from fish to dish. Government funds provide critical lifelines, but the money is limited and finite. Consumers need to do their part: Buying local is imperative, as is eating local.

Kakaako school waits

As parts of Kakaako transform from industrial warehouses to sleek residential apartment buildings, it’s useful to remind ourselves that in some respects, we are going back to the future.

In the early to mid-1900s, Kakaako was a residential district with a somewhat rough reputation. Its most esteemed resident, Margaret “Mother” Waldron, helped countless children, some of them delinquents, reform and improve their lives, using everything from athletic events to guava-jelly-making projects. She also taught at Pohukaina School.

So it’s a little disappointing to hear that a new public school, an innovative 10-story building that would rise where the old one once stood, has been put in limbo.

The proposed project includes the $60 million elementary school and a 390-unit residential tower built by a private developer on state land, which sits next to the historic Mother Waldron Park. The residential apartments would be reserved for moderate-income families to rent, which are always in high demand. The vertical school would be the first of its kind in Hawaii, serving an estimated 750 students.

The state Department of Education already has received $23 million for the new school, but state lawmakers this year did not include another $20 million in supplemental capital improvement spending.

“It’s a practical thing,” said state Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, noting that the money isn’t needed right now because the project’s construction won’t start in the near future. “We were looking to put money into projects that will be used soon.”

It’s just the latest twist in the convoluted history of the 2-acre site, which sits largely empty as other apartment towers and retail establishments have risen around it.

At one point, it was anticipated that construction would begin in 2019. Now it seems unlikely the project will break ground this year.

The prospective developer, Alaka‘i Development, still needs to work out some issues with the state Department of Education and the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp.

Let’s hope the work can begin sooner rather than later. As the population grows, more neighborhood schools will be needed.

And a vertical school, thoroughly modern and making the most of limited urban space, can serve as a model for how the neighborhood’s children will be educated in the future. Surely, Margaret Waldron would have been pleased.