Hawai'i Fisheries Initiative - The Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs

United Nations World Heritage status,
concluding that such designation would
commit the federal government in
perpetuity to preservation/conservation
efforts and add an extra layer of national
and international protection, increase
international recognition and financial
support, and increase opportunities
for research and education now and
into the future. 522
Government, Native Hawaiians,
and Cultural and Community
Organizations Seek Cooperative
Management of Ocean Resources
Consensus building between the different
factions (international, federal, state,
local community, and native peoples)
is becoming a global message in
marine management. Community-based
management is a buzzword of the day,
signifying not only the rights of Native
Hawaiians, but of all residents in coastal
communities in having a say in marine
management. Yet, working examples
remain relatively rare. “A few remote
areas under community control have
standing stocks of fishes equivalent to
those found in no-take Marine Life Conservation
Districts. However, despite the fact
that no-take marine refuges and areas
under community-based management
have proven to be successful fisheries
management strategies, less than 1 percent
of the coastal areas in Hawai‘i are managed
in these ways. 523
However, successful cooperativemanagement
models do exist. Examples of
subsistence-fishing community management
efforts in Hawai‘i include Ha‘ena on
Kaua‘i; Ho‘okena, Miloli‘i, and Honaunau
on Hawai‘i; Mo‘omomi on Moloka‘i;
and Ewa on O‘ahu. 524 The Makai Watch
program, modeled after the Neighborhood
Watch program, acts as the “eyes and
ears” of law enforcement by providing
local communities with the opportunity
to be directly involved in protecting the
marine environment. The program, which
is a partnership between The Nature
Conservancy, the University of Hawai‘i
Sea Grant, DAR, and non-profits such as
Ma – lama Hawai‘i, educates marine users as
to marine ecology, culture, history, safety,
and conscientious use of ocean resources.
Monitors collect information on fishing,
kayaking, and collecting activities and on
the biological health of the ocean resource.
Makai Watch participants encourage others
to learn and obey regulations, and they
also identify and report illegal activities to
proper authorities. 525
NOAA’s Pacific Services Center was
established in 2001 to improve the
agency’s services to the Pacific Islands
through partnering with local coastal and
ocean resource management communities
as a means of understanding and
developing assistance that reflects and
incorporates the islands’ cultural and
traditional practices. “Natural resource
management issues cannot be separated
from human elements such as traditional
practices, culture, and economics.” 526
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