According to Maui Now, Hawaiian environmental organizations and the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort in Maui, recently negotiated a settlement agreement aimed at protecting an endangered species: the Hawaiian petrel bird, also known as 'ua'u.
The deal is a response to recent legal action from two conservation groups against the owner of the tourist resort, Maui Now explains, in which they allege that "bright lights at the [Grand Wailea] resort" caused life-threatening and fatal injuries for the Hawaiian petrels.
Birds, including the Hawaiian petrels, and other species can become disoriented by light. This leaves them vulnerable to injury, confusion, predators, and more. Hawaiʻi, notes Maui Now, "is the only place in the world where 'ua'u breed." The American Bird Conservancy estimates that a mere 6,000 to 8,000 mating pairs of the bird exist.
The 2024 lawsuit follows another (and another settlement plan) from 2022, in which the Grand Wailea pledged to shift its practices to better protect the 'ua'u and other at-risk wildlife. However, Maui Now detailed, "fledgling birds continued to be attracted to, and harmed by, the resort's artificial light," leading to documented concerns and one confirmed death of the petrels.
Maui Now explains how, post-2024 settlement, the Grand Wailea will need to account for potential harm to the birds as indicated in the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The resort will now pursue the process of "securing a federal permit" to continue its operations by employing methods intended to "minimize the harm and offset negative impacts" on the endangered birds.
"We remain deeply committed to environmental sustainability and protecting Maui's natural landscape and biodiversity," stated a Grand Wailea spokesperson per Maui Now. "Building upon our ongoing efforts, we have enhanced our substantial protections ahead of the upcoming fledgling season, ensuring our continued stewardship and care in Wailea and across the island."
The resort plans to invest more resources in bird detection, modify its lighting systems to reduce its problematic impact, and contribute to efforts to protect the 'ua'u in Maui County.
"I'm thrilled that the Grand Wailea hotel will take more steps to turn off lights that can be so dangerous for the ʻuaʻu and other Maui seabirds," commented Brett Hartl, a director at the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the conservation groups, in Maui Now. "Reducing nighttime light pollution around Maui helps ensure that these endangered petrels have a better future and that their haunting nocturnal calls will echo from the summit of Haleakalā for generations to come."
For the Hawaiian petrels, threats to their habitats, including wildfires and pollution caused by fishing activities, have caused their endangerment. Like many wildlife species, they make invaluable contributions to their ecosystem, including by producing waste, or "guano," that can be used as fertilizer, as the American Bird Conservancy details.
The settlement agreement between the resort and conservation groups could make real progress in reducing light pollution and preserving the Hawaiian petrel population. Conservation efforts have been effective in saving endangered bird species across the world, including the ulūlu (aka the Nīhoa Millerbird) in Hawaiʻi.
Those involved emphasized the agreement's potential to set a precedent in environmental preservation and protection in the state.
"As the 'endangered species capital of the world,' we in Hawai'i must ensure that we're doing everything we can to save these magnificent birds from the downward spiral toward extinction that humans have caused," said Jonee Peters, executive director at Conservation Council for Hawai'i, the other group in the lawsuit, to Maui Now.
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