HONOLULU (KHON2) — State officials say thousands of black-chin tilapia have invaded the near-shore waters of the Na Pali Coast and they’re looking at ways to get rid of them.
Fishermen first reported seeing large schools over the past two weeks. Officials think they washed into the ocean from one of the ditch systems.
Tilapia are an introduced species, but they’re also considered invasive.
The state is calling this an emergency situation and wants to remove the fish before winter swells make it more difficult.
