Sunrise Shrimp Farm in Kekaha has applied to the Hawaii Department of Health for a renewal of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. A NPDES permit allows for the controlled release of known pollutants. In this case the Surfrider Foundation feels that the requested permit allows too much pollution to enter the ocean and that these concerns should be addressed by the community at a public hearing.
The canals often smell terrible with rotting dead fish. There are concerns that the dead fish bring sharks in close to the ocean recreational area; a shark attacked there during one such fish kill. While there are permit notification and cleanup requirements for fish kills, there are inadequate preventative measures.
The community of Kauai cares greatly about the health of our streams and near shore waters. By in large, people are unaware of the current level of pollution the shrimp farm currently causes, much less the risk for increased impact.