Boat owner fined for coral damage on Big Island
On May 28, 2021, the State Board of Land and Natural Resources received a report via social media that a 54-foot sailing catamaran, the “Avalanche,” had anchored on top of live coral outside Honokohau Small Boat Harbor on Hawaii Island. On Dec. 9, the BLNR fined the owner $43,417.
Following the report, an aquatic biologist from the Division of Aquatic Resources and officers from the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement spoke to the boat’s captain and the biologist conducted a visual survey of the underlying reef. The “Avalanche” pulled anchor and left the area.
