Environuts Don't Want Hawaii Superferry

In February of 2006 I spent 8 days in beautiful Kauai, Hawaii and my hotel room overlooked Nawiliwili Harbor. Here was the view:
Early on the first morning we were there I got a shot of a cruise ship entering the harbor:

I bring up those photos because that harbor was the scene of a protest Sunday when Hawaii's new Superferry made its maiden run from Oahu to Kauai and was met with protesters:

As the Hawaii Superferry cruised into Nawiliwili Harbor around 5:45 p.m. yesterday on its maiden voyage to Kaua‘i, more than a dozen local surfers paddled out to block the 350-foot “Alakai” from reaching port, while 500 protesters backed them up onshore.

The blue and white four-deck catamaran stopped in a stalemate some 20 yards short of the surfers’ loosely linked human chain.

The hundreds of peaceful protesters lining the sea wall waved “No EIS ... No Superferry” signs and chanted “Go back.”

The Superferry bumped up its launch of service date two days and provided drastically discounted $5 one-way fares after the Hawai‘i Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday that an environmental review should have been required prior to starting service.

And why do the locals want to keep the ferry out?

Environmentalists fear the inter-island vessel may kill humpback whales, spread invasive species, further burden local infrastructure and worsen drug and homeless problems.

And then there's this from a release issued by an anti-ferrite last November:

Aloha to you - friends of Kauai,

I remember back in 1971, during the Vietnam War, a Cobra attack helicopter and a Huey troop carrier landed in the parking lot next to the Kauai Store (now the county office building). They were newly designed aircraft then, and a great draw as part of a military public relations effort. Young people, including me, got to climb all over them and even sit in the pilot’s seats.

Will we have a similar event in 2007? Will the Superferry bring a contingent of US Army Stryker vehicles to Kauai so they can drive up to Kukui Grove Mall as part of a military recruiting effort? Will our children be climbing over these weapons platforms as if they were playground equipment? I hope not and in a minute I’ll tell you why.

Read more if you want to find out how the U.S. Military will spread radioactive uraninum all over the island if the superferry is allowed to run.





The arguments against the ferry are pretty weak. The island already has a steady flow of cruise ship, barges and other vessels that come into the island from other islands, and Hawaii could really use interisland ferry service. When I was there I wante to go to Oahu to see Pearl Harbor, but would have had to book a flight to do it. I probably would have taken a day and gone over there if ferry service was available.





By the way, the ferry did dock a little later and at last report the island had not sunk beneath the waves. Kauai is a beautiful place, but this ferry isn't going to change that.