Harbor security zone loosened

By Chris Hamilton

The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday morning said it is lifting the Kahului Harbor fixed security zone that was put in place when Hawaii Superferry relaunched service to Maui.
Federal and state officials put the zone in place to “deter and, if necessary, respond to acts of unlawful demonstration,” according to a statement issued Tuesday by Coast Guard Port Capt. Vince Atkins.
But the Coast Guard also had said it was intended to be temporary, while enforcement officials gauged public response and would likely end soon after the large public protests against the Superferry were completed on Saturday.
“I would say this decision is a testament to the work of our county and state law enforcement partners as well as the good will and patience of the people in the community,” said Lt. John Titchen of the Coast Guard in Honolulu. “The Coast Guard recognizes that the temporary security zone prevents people from accessing the harbor for recreational reasons. And we wanted to find a more reasonable way to ensure public safety.”
Hawaii Superferry President and Chief Executive Officer John Garibaldi said he was pleased with the Coast Guard’s decision and agreed with Titchen’s reasoning.
The Alakai, a 350-foot, high-speed catamaran, will still have a 100-yard moving security zone encircling it. Those Coast Guard-enforced zones are standard for large passenger vessels.
“That is so fabulous,” said Karen Chun of Save Kahului Harbor, one of the groups to organize protests against the ferry operations. “We told them from the beginning they didn’t need to do it, and I’m thankful that they finally recognized it.”
The temporary security zone had encompassed nearly all the harbor for more than two hours every day as well as a two-mile-wide corridor into the ocean.
The fixed zone will remain on the books until Jan. 31 but will not be enforced, Titchen said. If new security problems were to pop up in the interim, the Coast Guard could have the federal zone reinstated and extended for an undetermined period of time.
“The Coast Guard is not letting its guard down,” Titchen said.
State and federal officials were reacting to the active protests held at Kauai’s Nawiliwili Harbor when the Superferry initially began service on Aug. 26 – before a Maui court restraining order blocked operations. Surfers, paddlers and swimmers in the water blocked the entrance channel to Nawiliwili, and were able to prevent the Alakai from docking on Kauai on Aug. 27. The next day, Hawaii Superferry suspended its operations to Maui and Kauai while dealing with a lengthy hearing in 2nd Circuit Court on a motion for a permanent injunction to block the ferry until an environmental assessment is completed.
After 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza granted the injunction, Gov. Linda Lingle called a special session of the Legislature, which approved a bill to allow the Superferry to run while an environmental impact statement is prepared.
“I think the predominant mood in most of the demonstrations was the frustration with the abuse of power,” Chun said. “They just went overboard for a private business and inconvenienced all of Maui for this business.”
Closing the harbor wound up having the unintended residual effect of stirring up a new wave of opposition against ferry, demonstrators said. Surfers, paddlers and fishermen who otherwise had no objections to the Alakai’s daily Oahu-Maui trips, said the harbor closing brought them out.
The shoreline and waters off Hoaloha Park were the only areas open to paddlers and swimmers while the fixed security zone was in place.
During a protest rally Saturday, two surfers allegedly cut a floating line to mark the security zone. It was the only illegal act reported during the otherwise loud but peaceful demonstration.
Superferry revived daily service to Maui on Thursday but has not yet scheduled a renewal of service to Kauai.