Hawaii Molasses Spill May Increase Presence of Predators

Hawaii Molasses Spill May Increase Presence of Predators

Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii – a significant spill of molasses in the harbor does not pose any health risk to swimmers for the time being. However, authorities caution that one of the risks that the sweet ingredient may cause is to increase the presence of predators in the water such as eels and yes, sharks.

Hawaii health officials warned the public of increased dangers thanks to a massive molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor Monday.

“While molasses is not harmful to the public directly, the substance is polluting the water, causing fish to die and could lead to an increase in predator species,” the health department said in a statement Wednesday.

No one is saying that man eating sharks enjoy a taste of the sweet and salty that molasses may bring to the water. Rather, the molasses is harmful to fish and will reduce the aquatic population which authorities say may increase the number of predators in the area.

One diver went to the bottom of the harbor and filmed what he termed where thousands of dead fish at the bottom. In fact, until the spill occurred, he was unaware that there was that much fish life in these waters.

Additionally, the molasses is posing additional harm to the environment by giving grow to harmful bacteria. The health department is saying this is the worst environment damage they have ever seen.

“This is the worst environmental damage to sea life that I have come across, and its fair to say this is a biggie, if not the biggest that we’ve had to confront in the state of Hawaii,” said Gary Gill, deputy director for the Environmental Health Division of the Health Department.

The Health Department has added crews to haul away the dead marine life, but that’s still not enough.

The disaster began this past Monday when a leak in a molasses pipeline dumped as much as 233,000 gallons of the substance into the harbor. Fish began dying immediately following the release.

https://twitter.com/timmysutton/statuses/378260578076094465

Saddened to see shocking footage of #honolulu #molasses spill and resulting fish death. Will be monitoring closely. http://t.co/HTA8UidF82

— Coral Reef Alliance (@coral_org) September 12, 2013

Hawaii News Now – KGMB and KHNL

On The Web:
Hawaii Molasses Spill
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/12/us/hawaii-molasses-spill/index.html

Underwater video uncovers mass kill from Matson molasses spill
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23409767/underwater-video-uncovers-mass-kill-from-matson-molasses-spill?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9296935

Massive molasses spill in Hawaii could draw sharks
http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/09/13/Hawaii-molasses-spill-could-draw-sharks/4961379096897/