06/07/2026
The Argument for The Complete Ban of Fireworks Across All of Hawaii
Why fireworks are a problem for nēnē
Nēnē are ground-nesting birds and they’re active at dusk and dawn, which overlaps with when people set off fireworks.
The loud blasts cause them to panic and flush from nests, leaving eggs or goslings exposed to predators and the elements. Smoke and debris also contaminate the native plants and grasses they eat. On Maui and Hawaii Island, DLNR has documented nēnē abandoning nesting areas after New Year’s and July 4th activity. Unlike monk seals, nēnē can’t just swim away — they’re stuck where the fireworks are.
Legal protections nēnē already have
1. Federal: Nēnē were downlisted from endangered to threatened in 2019, but they’re still protected under the Endangered Species Act. That makes it illegal to “harass, harm, pursue, or kill” them. Fines can reach $25,000 per violation and up to 6 months in jail for threatened species.
2. State: Hawaii lists nēnē as endangered under HRS 195D. State law mirrors the ESA and adds its own penalties: up to $10,000 and 1 year in jail per animal.
3. Fireworks laws: Hawaii Revised Statutes §132D already bans aerial fireworks without a permit and restricts use to certain cultural holidays. Counties like Maui and Hawaii County have gone further with “fireworks-free zones” around sensitive wildlife habitat, but enforcement is the gap. 
What would “same attention” as has been happening for the recent monk seal harassment case look like?
The monk seal case got traction because there was clear video, witnesses, and NOAA agents who could make a fast federal arrest.
For nēnē, three things would help shift that same spotlight: 
1. Documented incidents tied to specific events – Photos/video of nēnē flushing or dead after fireworks, with time/location stamps. USFWS and DLNR use that for ESA enforcement.
2. Linking fireworks to “take” – Under ESA, disturbing nesting enough to cause nest abandonment counts as illegal “take.” Proving that connection is how federal cases get built.
3. Community reporting – NOAA has a marine wildlife hotline that gets attention. For nēnē, reports go to DLNR at 808-587-0166 or the DOCARE hotline 808-643-DLNR. The more calls they log around holidays, the more data they have to push for buffer zones or permit denials. 
What’s already happening
The Nēnē Recovery Action Group works with private landowners through NRCS to protect habitat.
Groups like Save the Nene, have been lobbying counties to expand fireworks bans near known nesting areas on Maui and Kauai.
In 2024, USFWS flagged toxoplasmosis from feral cats as a bigger mortality driver, so that’s where a lot of federal funding goes.
But fireworks remain an “ongoing human disturbance” that advocates are trying to elevate. 
To help us push for the same level of attention, the playbook from the seal case applies: evidence, media, and direct reporting to the agencies that can file charges.
Nēnē.org and DLNR both track incidents, and they’ve said public pressure after holiday weekends helps them justify stricter county rules.
PLEASE KOKUA!!!
