While the Hawaii Superferry now sails regularly between O'ahu and Maui, the debate continues over its impact on Hawai'i's environment.

The latest report from the task force overseeing ferry operations has once again ignited complaints.

The report said that between Aug. 10 and Sept. 12 more than 500 pounds of fish, 'opihi, octopus and edible seaweed were confiscated from vehicles returning to O'ahu.

Another recently released state report noted that ferry personnel did not conduct vehicle inspections as thoroughly as state rules require.

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares wants the Superferry to pay for the permanent daily presence of state officers to oversee the inspections. This oversight is scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

Tavares' plea is well-intentioned, but misses the larger issue. To protect against overharvesting of the state's depleted marine resources, the state needs to get tougher about conservation.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold statewide public meetings on new marine harvest limits. That's a move in the right direction.

Most of what was confiscated by Superferry workers was obtained legally and could have been sent by plane or other shipping, which are how most goods get shipped interisland. The Superferry is required to follow stricter requirements than other transportation companies while work on its environmental impact statement continues.

And forcing the Superferry to pay for state inspectors — and raise its fares — seems like overkill.

It makes more sense for the state to deploy its limited number of officers available to enforce more comprehensive management of the state's natural resources, rather than putting some of them on full-time inspection duty at the ferry port.

The state should also take the lessons learned from its Superferry experience to examine the other transportation modes and their impact on the environment.

But that doesn't mean the Superferry should be entirely off the hook.

The ferry should continue to follow the current inspection regime and be vigilant about violations, both on O'ahu and Maui.

There are many benefits of the ferry — nonprofit groups can travel more efficiently, for instance, and small-business owners, such Maui farmers, can bring their products and services directly to their customers quickly. A high-capacity ferry link provides a much-needed alternative to interisland transportation.

And if the ferry is to succeed in Hawai'i, it is imperative that its operators and the state must continue to develop effective ways to deal with its environmental impacts.