Synopsis: Deep-sea mining can deplete the amount of oxygen necessary to sustain life on the ocean floor. It makes sense to place a moratorium on such activity until the consequences are better understood.

Aloha mai kākou e nā hoa heluhelu. Eia nō ua kupu hou mai nei kahi kumuhana i hāpai ‘ia ma loko o Kauakūkalahale i ka lā 6 o kēlā mahina aku nei, ‘o ia ho‘i, ka ‘eli‘eli ‘ia o ka papakū o ka moana i mea e ‘ohi mai ai i kauwahi ‘ano metala waiwai, e la‘a ke kopalaka, ka likiuma, a me ke keleawe (copper). Ua hele kekahi Hawai‘i, ‘o Solomon Kahoohalahala o Lāna‘i, i ka hālāwai nui a ka ISA (International Seabed Authority) i mea e hō‘ike ai i ka mana‘o Hawai‘i e kū‘ē‘ē ana i ia hana. A ‘oiai ua kokoke loa ia hana i Hawai‘i nei, he 500 wale nō mile ka mamao mai ko kākou kapakai aku ma ka hikina hema, a he hana ho‘i ia e emi mai ai ka ‘okikene a nā mea ola o ka moana e “hanu” ai, aia ke ola pono o ia kaiaola a huki like kākou a pau i ke kaupale aku i ia hana ake kālā. Aia ka pono ‘o ka lilo ‘ana o ka papakū o ka moana i wahi kapu, ‘a‘ole e ‘eli‘eli noa ‘ia. ‘Eā, ‘o ke kuleana kēia o nā kānaka a pau o ka honua nei.

Ua pili kēia ‘atikala i ia mea he ‘okikene pouli (dark oxygen). He ‘okikene nō ia i ho‘okumu ‘ia ma kahi hohonu loa o ka moana e pā ‘ole mai ai nā kukuna o ka lā, ‘a‘ole nō e like me ke ‘ano o ke kā‘ama‘ai ma luna o ka ‘āina. Ke hui kekahi mau pu‘upu‘u metala li‘ili‘i o ka papakū o ka moana, e la‘a me kēlā mau mea i hō‘ike ‘ia a‘ela, me ka wai kai, he kohu iho uila ka hoa like nona mai ka hu‘ahu‘a ‘okikene. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, he mea ko‘iko‘i ua mau metala nei ma ka hana ‘ana i kahi wāwahie li‘ili‘i wale nō o ke karabona a hapa mai ho‘i o kona ho‘ohaumia ‘ana i ke ea. A no laila, e lilo ko lākou ‘ohi‘ohi ‘ia mai i mea e pi‘i ai ka waiwai ai nā hui a me nā moku‘āina puni kālā. Eia na‘e, i loko nō o ka loa‘a ‘ana o kekahi mau hopena maika‘i o ia hana, aia nō kekahi mau hopena ‘ino e no‘ono‘o ai. Eia ho‘i kekahi, ke hapa mai ka ‘okikene, e make ana paha kauwahi mea ola o ka papakū o ka moana. Wahi a nā po‘e ‘epekema nāna i lawelawe i kekahi papahana noi‘i no kēia nīnau, inā e ‘ae ‘ia ka ‘eli‘eli ‘ia ‘ana o ia mau metala, e pilikia ana paha ke kaiaola ma ka papakū o ka moana i ka hapa mai o ka ‘okikene e pono ai nā mea ola o laila.

Ma ia papahana noi‘i, ua waiho ‘ia kekahi mau pahu ma lalo o ka papakū o ka moana, ma kahi ho‘i o ka 2.6 mile ka hohonu, no ka mālama ‘ana i nā pu‘upu‘u metala o laila. Ma ke ana ‘ana i ka ‘okikene, ua ‘ike ‘ia ka māhuahua ‘ana o ia mau pu‘upu‘u me ka hala ‘ana o ka wā. ‘O ia ho‘i, ua ‘oi aku ka nui o ka ‘okikene e haku ‘ia ana ma mua o ka nui o ka ‘okikene o ka ho‘ohana ‘ia ‘ana. I mea ho‘i ia ‘okikene e ola ai nā mea ola o ka papakū o ka moana. A inā e ‘eli‘eli ‘ia ua mau metala nei, mali‘a o pilikia auane‘i ke kaiaola o ka papakū o ka moana. I pilikia ka moana, pilikia pū nō ho‘i me kākou a pau. A no laila, e mālama kākou i ka pono o ka ‘āina ma luna a ma lalo ho‘i o ka ‘ili o ke kai.

I kēia wā a nā aupuni o ke ao e nalu nei i kēia nīnau, aia he 800 a ‘oi po‘e ‘epekema i pūlima i kekahi palapala ho‘opi‘i i kēia hana ‘o ka ‘eli‘eli metala waiwai mai ka papakū mai o ka moana. E ho‘okū ‘ia nō ho‘i i mea e noi‘i hou ai i ka maika‘i a me ka ‘ole o ia hana. Ua lawa nō paha ka nui o ka ‘ino i ili mai ma luna o ka moana ma muli o nā hana ake kālā a kākou kānaka, e la‘a ka loli ‘ana o ke aniau, ka lawe i‘a ‘ana ma o ka huki ‘ia o ka ‘upena ma luna o ka papakū o ka moana, a me nā ‘ano ho‘ohaumia like ‘ole ‘ē a‘e. E mālama kākou i ka moana!

E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.