Hawaii drafts rules for manta-ray viewing

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources has drafted rules regarding proposed changes to manta ray viewing sites.

The department’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation crafted the rules with the Big Island specifically in mind, as manta ray excursions represent a multi-million-dollar industry in West Hawaii that has gone essentially unregulated, West Hawaii Today reported this week.

The draft rules would, among other stipulations, require documentation of manta ray viewing site usage and proof that applicants have established histories of operating tours.

Department spokeswoman Deborah Ward said due to the lack of rules, no permits specifically for manta ray tours have ever been issued. Instead, anyone who currently holds a general commercial use permit is eligible to operate a tour.

The project to create rules started in 2014 and they are expected to go into effect in a year or two, she said.

Keller Laros, founder of the Manta Pacific Research Foundation and owner of Laros Diving Inc., which owns a 50 per cent share of Jack’s Diving Locker, said improving safety for tourists and manta rays while maintaining a sustainable industry begins with the permitting process.

“There are no barriers to the industry,” Laros said. “There’s a company in town that hired a homeless guy to be a snorkel guide. Maybe he’s trained, maybe he’s not.”