Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

Shearwaters are most active in the day and skim the ocean surface while foraging. During thebreeding season, shearwaters tend to forage within 50–62 miles (80–100 km) of their nestingburrows (Harrison 1990). Shearwaters also tend to be gregarious at sea, and the Newell’sshearwater is known to occasionally follow ships (Harrison 1990. Shearwaters feed by surfaceseizing and pursuit plunging (Warham 1990). Often shearwaters will dip their heads under thewater to sight their prey before submerging (Warham 1990).Shearwaters are extremely difficult to identify at sea, as the species is characterized by mostlydark plumage, long and thin wings, a slender bill with a pair of flat and wide nasal tubes at thebase, and dark legs and feet. Like the albatross, the nasal tubes at the base of the bill enhance thebird’s sense of smell, assisting them to locate food while foraging (Ainley et al. 1997).Other SeabirdsOther seabirds found in the region include the black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes),Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis), masked booby (Sula dactylatra), brown booby (Sulaleucogaster), red-footed booby (Sula sula), wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus),Christmas shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis), petrels (Pseudobulweria spp., Pterodroma spp.),tropicbirds (Phaethon spp.), frigatebirds (Fregata spp.), and noddies (Anous spp.).Seabirds known to occur around Hawaii include short-tailed, black-footed, and Laysanalbatrosses; Christmas, Newell’s, flesh-footed, wedge-tailed, and sooty shearwaters; and masked,brown, and red-footed boobies. The world’s largest Laysan albatross colony is located onHawaii’s Midway Atoll where lead paint is reported to be flaking off of deteriorating buildings.Paint chips are consumed by albatross chicks as they wait for their parents to return with foodand the American Bird Conservancy has stated that these chicks have shockingly high leadconcentrations. The organization estimates that 10,000 chicks die each year as a result. TheUSFWS has stated that they plan to clean up as many buildings as possible over the next two tofour years and will also excavate chip-contaminated soil from around the buildings and sixinches down. The soil will be replaced with clean beach sand (TenBruggencate 2006).3.4 Social Environment 13Hawaii’s economy is dominated by tourism and defense, with tourism by far the leading industryin terms of employment and expenditures. The two represent approximately one quarter of GrossState Product without consideration of ancillary services and also comprise the largest shares of“export” earnings (Tables 8 and 9).Table 8: Hawaii’s Gross State ProductYearGross State Product Per Capita(million $)State Product Resident Population2005 53,710 $42,119 1,275,194Source: DBEDT 2005. Table 13.0213 Unless otherwise noted, all data in this section are taken from the 2005 STATE OF HAWAII DATA BOOK, onlineedition, hereafter referenced DBEDT, 2005. [http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ accessed April 7, 2007.]83