Question: People are still fishing by the lighthouse. Does anybody enforce this?
Answer: Yes. Report violations to the Department of Land and Natural Resources enforcement hotline at 643-3567.
We presume that you are referring to the Diamond Head Lighthouse, which borders the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area (SFMA), where fishing is banned during odd-numbered years. The current closure began Jan. 1 and extends through Dec. 31.
The district includes nearshore waters between the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium and the Diamond Head Lighthouse, extending makai from the high-water mark on shore to at least 500 yards seaward. This SFMA is the only one managed with periodic closures, and the DLNR is evaluating whether the respites help boost fish populations over the long term.
Fishing is never allowed in the adjacent Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District, which extends from the Natatorium to the Kapahulu groin.
Lose weight, not money
Many people start the new year determined to lose weight. But keeping up the resolution to eat less and exercise more is a struggle for some, who seek shortcuts. Con artists stand ready to exploit this tendency, warns Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau. When a weight-loss product or program sounds too good to be true, it is, says the BBB, which offers tips to help consumers avoid being ripped off:
>> Beware free trials: A scammer might set up a webpage offering a free trial of their product or place ads on otherwise trustworthy websites. Once you click on the come-on, you may be enticed to pay what you think is a one-time processing and handling fee for the freebie. However, you actually may be authorizing a recurring payment at full price. It can be difficult to halt the payments. Avoid this problem by limiting online purchases to secure sites; look for “https” in the web address before inputting your credit card.
>> Beware fake “news” sites: Scammers create websites where they post phony articles touting a new weight-loss product or trick. Avoid this scam by verifying that you’re reading a reputable news source.
>> Beware false reviews: One way to spot phony reviews and testimonials is to look for disclaimers stating “results not typical” or photos only of the product’s alleged results, without “before” photos. Check trusted sources for consumer reviews and complaints, including on the BBB website, bbb.org/hawaii.
Even genuine fitness programs warrant scrutiny to ensure that consumers get a fair deal. While the BBB generally warns against free trials, it amends that advice for gym memberships, saying that a free trial can be a great way to try out a facility — as long as the tryout is truly free.
Check out the facility during the days and hours you are most likely to use it, carefully read the membership contract before signing and make sure you understand what the fees will be in the long term — after any low introductory rate expires.
“What matters is the document you sign, so don’t just take a salesperson’s word for it,” the BBB advises in its New Year’s tips. Among key questions to answer: “What happens if you move or the gym goes out of business? Will your membership renew automatically at the end of the term? Can you get out of the contract altogether and under what circumstances?”
Mahalo
I am writing to thank the kind and honest person who found my lilac cloth bag with my favorite umbrella and other articles on the No. 13 bus to Waikiki/University on Dec. 9 and gave it to the driver. I had gotten off the bus at the Marriott hotel at around 10:10 a.m. on my way to a doctor’s appointment at Waikiki Health. Thank you so much, and may good blessings come to you. — Ms. Elwyn Kan, Chinatown
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
