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Kailua-Kona, HI - The island of Niihau, the smallest inhabited rock in Hawaii, lies at the north west end of the main island chain. Here, the local populace has been shielded, to no small extent, from the modern world and still speak their native tongue in the "old way" and do not have any technological connections to the 21st century. Marlin are an ancient ocean roaming species of fish, not far removed from dinosaurs. How ironic that a high tech device the size of a cigar with an egg on the end popped off the back of a marlin yesterday and is now floating peacefully by Niihau, transmitting data to a satellite. The device is transmitting from about 50 miles west south west of the island. The device was planted on the marlin July 19 by Rob Wilson of Houston, Texas. The "pop up archival tag" - or PAT - was purchased by the Hawaii Conservation Association as one of six PAT's used to kick off their "Lure an Angler to Research" program this summer. The program is designed to increase public awareness of high tech wildlife research in an effort to expand the market demand for the devices, while expanding the funding sources past the traditional government and university grant systems. Rob Wilson is part of one the families responsible for founding the Coastal Conservation Association, and no stranger to public support of fishery initiatives. The Hawaii Conservation Association (HCA) was founded along the general principals of CCA, but with complete Hawaiian autonomy. HCA is working in association with Dr. Richard Brill of National Marine Fisheries Service and biologist Andrew West, completing his PhD in marine science while teaching at the University of the Nations in Kona. At large for right on two months, the route that the marlin took to get to Niihau will be decoded from the data by scientists in Maryland after the device completes transmitting over the next few weeks. For now, only Point A (release) and Point B (pop up) are known. The animal travelled at least 300 miles in exactly 60 days, making only and average of 5 miles per day. Fishermen and scientists both know that marlin can sprint at speeds close to 30 miles per hour, and are commonly seen paddling along at 3 - 5 miles per hour when not hunting or "just cruising". With this in mind, it will be quite interesting to find out just exactly what the marlin did in his spare time during the past two months. Did it go on a trip and then come back to the Hawaiian Islands? It certainly has the travel capabilities to so, as proven by other tag returns. Or did the fish "go local" and decide that everything that it needed in life was right here in the place called Paradise, as so many humans have been doing since the Niihau people ancestors first arrived almost 2,000 years ago. Four more PAT's are expected to pop up between now and November 17, and one more is being re-programmed in order to be deployed during the chanmpionship event of the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Tournament, held December 6 - 10 off of South Point on the Big Island of Hawaii - said to be the very first landfall of the ancient Polynesians in Hawaii. The Championship is a made for TV event to be filmed for ESPN 2's "Xtreme Sports" programming, profiling the wild and wooly locale, and challenging the competitors to face marlin that can surpass 1,500 pounds while fishing in the most remote and often unforgiving waters in Hawaii. To follow the tracks of the marlin tagged by HCA's "Lure an Angler to Research" program you can log on to hawaiica.org or link through the tournament sites konatournaments.tappedinto.com and konatournaments.com. The ESPN 2 coverage of the Maui Jim Hawaii marlin Tournament Series and the final PAT deployment of this series should air in January of 2001. Corporatations interested in supporting "Lure an Angler" can do so by sponsoring a PAT, which will help private enterprise fund wildlife research that is currently not receiving government attention - while at the same time enjoying positive exposure as a business that is a fine corporate citizen of the environment. Tag sponsors will enjoy multiple mentions of their company tag on two ESPN 2 TV shows, on four web sites, in the Maui Jim Series tabloid magazine and in every press release created by HCA. Donations and contributions from companies, foundations and individuals are all tax deductible under the IRS laws pertaining to organizations with 501 (c) 3 tax exempt status. HCA has this status, and shall supply documentation upon request. For more information contact Jody Bright at the Hawaii Conservation Association in Kona at 808-331-1191. Story by Jody Bright |
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