Waimanalo residents concerned about impact of film industry on wildlife

By Tom George

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — Waimanalo is home to beaches worthy of the big screen and neighbors who want to protect them.

“We’re not just looking out for the community, but also environmentally,” says resident Mialisa Otis.

“If they’re filming towards the shore you have the sand turtles and if you shine a light in the air it’s the sea birds,” Otis says.

Recently, a resident found an injured sea bird and another dead bird at Kaiona Beach Park. We took those concerns to the city, and learned the supposed dead bird was never recovered and there’s no way to known if lighting would have even played a role.

But it is prompting the state film office to reiterate that there are strict permitting procedures in place to protect the environment.

Crews are doing everything necessary to make sure that they don’t create harm in the process of making their various projects,” says State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson.

Part of that includes not pointing lights into the water and some limitations on night filming and filming near the shoreline. Trisha Kehaulani Watson is among those who trains film crews so they understand the rules.

“I think there’s sort of a misperception that these film crews are all from the continent and come in and then know nothing about Hawaii , theres unions a lot of local labor this is an industry that brings a lot of jobs,” Watson says.

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