Residents in the Hawaiian area of Molokai have something in common with the residents in Charleston, South Carolina. They both wish to see cruise activity in their hometowns decrease due to environmental and other factors. But, while the Charleston residents have filed law suits attempting to regulate, or overall get rid of, the cruise ships – the Molokai residents have resorted to a different tactic. They have staged a water protest.
On Saturday, fed up with the cruise ships calling on their local port, an undetermined number of native Hawaiians took to surf boards and small boats, blocking the entrance to Kaunakakai Harbor. Their goal? To prevent the docking of an American Safari cruise ship – which was carrying about 30 passengers at the time.
The leader of the protest, Walter Ritte, is on record as saying that they group wishes to negotiate the resumption of the cruises docking at the port – but not while the cruises continue.
“Our position is we want to talk but not before he stops these tours,” Ritte said.
The position of the Hawaiians is that the cruises jeopardize their use of traditional hunting grounds, which the locals use to augment their diets.
Ritte is concerned that government laws do not do enough to protect local natural resources, allowing non-residents to take as much as they like from the natural bounty offered by the area.
What we are seeing here is a similar situation as that in Charleston. Essentially the local residents are unhappy with government policies, and the locals are taking it upon themselves to try to force the issue. In the case of Molokai the locals face government inaction, whereas Charleston resident face outright opposition from their government.
The situation in Molokai shows that it isn’t just the large cruise companies that are involved in influencing governments.
Primary Source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/134679748.html