Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr. Issues Statement on Incident Involving Grounded Private Yacht Near Marine Sanctuary at Honolua Bay in West Maui

In response to growing concerns surrounding a private yacht grounded at Honolua Bay and the impacts the vessel is having on the reef and sensitive ecosystem of the marine sanctuary, Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr. issued the following statement this evening:

“I spoke with Governor Green today and shared the concerns our community has on what has happened at Honolua Bay and the need to expedite response efforts to protect the marine sanctuary and remove the grounded vessel. I share those concerns as well. I also received an update from DLNR director Dawn Chang that outlined the department’s actions and next steps requiring the involvement of the U.S. Coast Guard. I’ve conveyed that this is a serious matter and appreciate the attention of the Governor and his administration to address the situation. I understand that this is under the jurisdiction of State and Federal agencies and I’ve been assured that their efforts are being done urgently. I’ve assigned senior staff to carefully monitor the situation and offer support when appropriate."