Hawai’i Superferry Controversy
Uncategorized No Comments »The magical beauty of Hawai’i has captivated people for centuries. Sheer mountains, dark valleys, gleaming white beaches, and the bounty of the crystal clear Pacific are the pride of the islands, stunning visitors and permanent residents alike. However powerful this natural majesty, it must be understood that Hawai’i is fragile.
Hawai’i is one of the fastest growing states and its infrastructure is in constant need of improvement. Massive amounts of people must be efficiently accommodated in a small space with limited resources. The environment will suffer if the Hawaiian economy is to be maintained. This is unavoidable but will fortunately be checked by the strong ecologically-minded community.
A recent example of conflict produced by the growing island economy is the Hawai’i Superferry (official site). The new accessibility of air travel in the fifties produced a decline in ferry services in the islands. For some time, Aloha Airlines (out of business as of this year) and Hawaiian Airlines were the best options for inter-island travel. Hawai’i Superferry introduced its first high-speed catamaran last year. When it became publicly known that the new ferry company had bypassed certain environmental impact surveys, a lively controversy developed. Environmentalists argued (and continue to argue) that the routes taken by the Superferry intersect with whale migration paths. Superferry harbors may be in danger of receiving invasive species. The Superferry project is subsidized by tax money and there was significant protest. On one occasion, protesters on surf boards were removed from Nawiliwili Harbor by the Coast Guard (KHNL story). The Superferry was stopped until legislation was passed allowing it to operate while the environmental impact surveys are being conducted.
Beyond environmental concerns, the Superferry reflects many other conflicts in Hawai’i. Inter-island transport was traditionally a monopoly of Aloha and Hawaiian (monopolies being a fact of life on small islands), but the Superferry provided a more convenient option that may have helped to drive Aloha out of business. Superferry rides are cheaper and more comfortable than airplane rides. The increased travel time is balanced by the huge benefit of being able to take along the family car. On the other hand, the Superferry may negatively affect unique local cultures by increasing the flow of tourists and shoppers to areas that are normally isolated.
I personally believe that the Superferry is a positive development. It is a necessary alternative to more expensive and polluting plane travel. Hawai’i desperately needs some way of transporting its people from one island to another and air travel is a comparatively wasteful way of doing this. So far as local culture is concerned, the most frequent Superferry users are locals themselves.
Some different local opinions:
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