Through the Kokua Initiative’s work with Hui Ho’oleimaluo, Hawaii is poised to substantially increase its local sustainable fish reserves and restore its historic waterways with a goal of supplying two-thirds of the global seafood supply through aquaculture.
Hawaii’s beautiful oceans and waterways have been a point of pride and a major source of the local population’s food for centuries, but roughly half of all fish consumed in the Islands is imported from mainland states and abroad, with only a fraction being produced by local aquaculture endeavors. Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water’s Kokua Initiative supports local aquaculture, including the Hui Ho’oleimaluo organization, helping restore fishponds and encourage marine biodiversity. Through the Kokua Initiative’s work with Hui Ho’oleimaluo, Hawaii is poised to substantially increase its local sustainable fish reserves and restore its historic waterways with a goal of supplying two-thirds of the global seafood supply through aquaculture.
Hawaiian aquaculture stretches back nearly 1,000 years, yet the controlled, local harvesting of fish and aquatic plants only accounts for a small percentage of all of the seafood consumed on the Islands. Fortunately, local aquaculture is a burgeoning industry with significant cultural, environmental, and economic value propositions. Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water has partnered with numerous local organizations committed to restoring this tradition, which not only provides a sustainable method of raising and sourcing fish, but also conserves the beautiful natural waterways, fishponds, and coastlines.
Unlike contemporary industrial-level aquatic farming, ancient Hawaiian aquaculture traditions encourage the preservation of diverse marine species without depleting natural fish stock, introducing pollutants into waterways or relying on antibiotics. The Kokua Initiative – Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water’s program for empowering local communities with the resources they need to preserve the ecosystem – partnered with the Hui Ho’oleimaluo organization, whose focus is on the restoration of fishponds throughout southeast Hawaii Island. In addition to active ecosystem management, Hui Ho’oleimaluo promotes skill-building through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) initiatives targeting 3-12th grade students.
Cultural preservation
Preserving the Hawaiian culture is one of the main objectives of the Kokua Initiative. Aquaculture is based upon principles and techniques that have been successfully employed for centuries, and they are intertwined with numerous Hawaiian traditions, rituals, and mythologies that predate Western immigration. The fishponds created and maintained in the 13th century to supplement wild fishing were not only centers of production, but were also considered sacred.
Hui Ho’oleimaluo teaches Hawaiian youth the history and cultural significance of the fishponds and their surroundings through outdoor classroom work that introduces students to the local ecosystem. Hui Ho’oleimaluo, along with Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water’s Kokua Initiative, hopes to empower students with an in-depth knowledge of their history and an appreciation of the precious ecosystem.
For more information about the Kokua Initiative, please visit Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water’s blog page.
