Turtle hunting Certain people around the world who live near the shore have always hunted sea turtles to help feed their families. A fisherman might spear a sea turtle and take it home to eat. Groups of hunters netted sea turtles when they rose to breathe and brought them back to their villages for food. For years, when there were many sea turtles, such hunting seemed to have little affect on their numbers. But more and more turtles were hunted. Money could be made selling sea turtles. So hunters took hundreds of turtles from the sea and even on the land, when they were nesting. In Hawai`i, they used to be sold to restaurants, so that tourists could eat turtles. Fewer and fewer sea turtles were left until they were almost gone. Laws now protect sea turtles and forbid trade in turtle products. Turtles are now starting to increase in Hawai`i due to protection. But not every country has these laws and not everyone obeys them.

No ka Hahai Honu 'Ana Mau no ka hahai honu 'ana o kekahi po'e e noho kokoke i ke kai i po'ai i ka honua no ka hanai i na 'ohana. Hiki paha kekahi lawai'a ke ho'o i ka honu kai a lawe aku ia ia i ka hale no ka ai. Ke pi'i na honu i ka 'ili kai no ka 'ea, hopu na hui lawai'a ia lakou a lawe aku na honu i ko lakou mau kauhale no ka 'ai. I ka wa he nui 'ino ka honu kai, 'a'ole i 'ike 'ia ka ho'emi 'ana o ka nui o ka honu kai. Aka, ua ho'oulu i ka helu o ka honu i pepehi 'ia. Waiwai no ka honu kai. No laila, ua pepehi na mea hanai i na honu he nui, a pepehi no ho'i lakou ma ka 'aina, i ke kau ho'opunana. Ma Hawai'i nei, ua ku'ai 'ia aku lakou i ka hale 'aina i wa ma mua. Ua ho'emi 'ia ka helu o ka honu a hiki i ka lakou nalowale. I keia manawa, aia no kekahi mau kanawai e palekana i na honu kai a papa i ke kalepa o na mea i hana 'ia me ka honu kai. i keia manawa, e ho'onui ana ka honu ma Hawai'i nei mamuli o ka malama 'ana. Ma na 'aina 'e a'e, 'a'ohe kanawai malama honu kai a 'a'ole na po'e a pau e wiwo i na kanawai.

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