Kaua‘i officials have created a plan to allow nighttime high school football games during the Seabird Fledgling Season while protecting local seabirds. A system will assess the risk of each game, and the football schedule will include both day and night games during this period, according to the County of Kauai.
For the 2025 season, four of seven games during the seabird fledgling period will be played at night, with each game checked for potential risks. Mayor Kawakami said, "This agreement shows that we can support our interscholastic athletes while protecting our natural heritage at the same time," and expressed appreciation for the partners involved. Seabird monitors and wildlife biologists will be at all games to protect species like the Hawaiian petrel and Newell’s shearwater, which are vulnerable to light as they move toward the ocean, as reported by the County of Kauai.
Officials are asking the community to help protect seabirds by reducing outdoor lighting, especially in coastal and upland areas, and using shielded fixtures. Extra care is advised on days with overcast skies or low moonlight. If a seabird is found grounded, people should place it in a ventilated box and contact the Save Our Shearwaters program for care, as stated by the County of Kauai.
