Officials in Hawaii seized a motorboat that had been floating just feet away from a sacred site on Maui known as the Hauola Stone.
The officials told the boat owner they are taking control of the 56-foot grounded motorboat, named Kuuipo, in order “to avoid damaging a culturally significant site,” the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a Facebook post Saturday. The department’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, known as DOBOR, is “immediately hiring a contractor to move the vessel to a safe location,” the department said.
did not permit the owner to bring their boat anywhere near the stone, and specifically directed the owner to stay far away from the cultural site. “The majority of boat owners are responsible, but recent actions by a few have harmed Hawai’i’s natural and cultural resources. Damage to our reefs and cultures sites is unacceptable.
is exploring ways to enforce responsible ownership to protect our ocean environment.” Unauthorized individuals who try to access the boat could face trespassing charges, and the owner is responsible “for all costs and expenses associated with the removal and disposal,” Statts said. The owner could also be responsible for coral or live rock damage, due to the grounding of the boat, the department said.
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