KIHEI
The work to revive an ancient Hawaiian fishpond has begun in waters off South Maui.
When it’s done in a year or so, the fishpond called Ko’ie’ie Loko I’a will provide a glimpse of how people in old Hawaii thrived by what they harvested from the ocean.
The Ko’ie’ie fishpond, which is listed as a National Historic Preservation Site, sits off Kalepolepo Park on South Kihei Road between the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the Menehune Shores condominium.
Since 1996, Native Hawaiians like Kimokeo Kapahulehua and others interested in the restoration project have worked to reconstruct the fishpond that dates back to the 1400s.
Kapahulehua and others established ’Ao’ao O Na Loko I’a O Maui, a nonprofit organization formed to shepherd the fishpond’s restoration. The group spent nine years researching the history of fishponds and going through several governmental approval processes before finally getting the required permits to start the project.
Ko’ie’ie Loko I’a is considered one of the most intact and easily visible fishponds in the state. Its foundation base, for example, remains intact and is approximately 12 feet wide. Over the years, erosion and wave action have knocked down the walls of the fishpond, but rocks (believed to have been carried in by Hawaiians from an area near Piilani Highway) remain in the water.
The first phase of the fishpond reconstruction involved the laborious task of sorting through rocks in the water by size – small, medium and large. The rocks weigh anywhere between 50 and 150 pounds.
To do the physical work of reconstructing the fishpond, ’Ao’ao O Na Loko I’a O Maui tapped members of the Hawaiian Outreach Economic Association. The goal is to build what will look like a 1,100-foot semicircular rock wall that measures approximately 8 feet wide and 6 feet above water at low tide. When finished, the fishpond will feature a wall and a sluice gate. For a loko kuapa type of fishpond, the wall was made of boulders and stones of all sizes and was known as the kuapa. Sluice gates, or makaha, were placed at precise locations to make efficient use of currents.
By studying nature, Native Hawaiians understood how fish were attracted to ocean currents. Going with the ebb and flow of the fishpond’s water, Hawaiians were able to lure fish through the makaha. Small fish were able to enter the small slats of the makaha while larger fish were prevented from escaping.
The fishpond association’s research found that in ancient times, ali’i, or Hawaiian chiefs, were considered wealthy if they had fishponds within their land divisions, known as ahupuaa. In fact, the greater the number of fishponds, the wealthier the chief was considered to be.
At one time, Hawaii had more than 400 fishponds throughout the islands, according to the association’s research. Just south of the 3-acre Ko’ie’ie Loko I’a are remnants of at least two other fishponds.
Led by Native Hawaiian Ke’eaumoku Kapu of Lahaina, a group of 10 to 12 core workers are rebuilding Ko’ie’ie Loko I’a, one rock at a time. The prime time for restoration work is at low tide as demonstrated Monday when the group went to work for a few hours in the morning.
“It’s about getting back to the elements. It’s about kuleana (responsibility), pride and esteem,” Kapu said as he prepared to tackle the fishpond restoration project.
Kapu’s wife, U’ilani, watched from the shore. The Kapus’ two young adult sons, Kaulana and Ikaika, are also involved in the restoration project.
“This is history. This was here before we were here,” U’ilani Kapu said. “It’s about learning about the past and going forward from here.”
In an attempt to follow traditional protocol in fishpond construction, only men are allowed to work on the fishpond restoration. Kapahulehua said more volunteers are needed and can get involved in the project by calling 276-7219.
Ko’ie’ie Loko I’a is Kapu’s first fishpond restoration project, but he has assisted in other projects and consulted with Molokai’s Walter Ritte, who has experience with fishpond restoration.
Kapu said fishpond restoration involves locking rocks in just the right way so as to build a wall that can stay upright through the water’s ebbs and flows. The fishpond wall itself is solidified with the use of coral found on the seafloor. The coral is placed at the top of the wall and given room to “settle down” into the rocks so as to serve as mortar for the rock wall.
Among the most enthusiastic supporters of the fishpond restoration are officials with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Their Kihei office sits on land in front of the fishpond.
“It’s an education thing for us,” said Allen Tom, Pacific islands regional coordinator for the sanctuary. Tom said the most frequently asked questions posed by sanctuary visitors are about the fishpond.
“They often ask, ’What’s that and why is it like that?’ ” Tom said.
In addition, Tom said the sanctuary’s mission includes working with Native Hawaiians to conduct cultural outreach projects, and the fishpond restoration is a good example of that.
Among other things, the sanctuary provides storage space for the fishpond association. It has assisted the group in getting a $40,000 federal grant to prepare curriculum to teach the fishpond’s history and to learn about the waters surrounding it. Part of the grant paid for the creation of special remote control water boats that will be used by children to study topics in the fishpond such as water temperature and salinity.
Patty Miller, Maui programs coordinator for the sanctuary, looks forward to the day when schools will be invited to see the fishpond up close.
“It’s a living classroom,” she said.
Tom said other communities with fishponds already have shown interest in the Ko’ie’ie Loko I’a project and are consulting with the association and the sanctuary about it. In fact, sanctuary employees have begun documenting the progress of the fishpond restoration and plan to put together educational resources for schools and other interested parties.
Kapu said the fishpond walls above the water probably would fall down in a natural disaster such as a hurricane. But the integrity of the construction will stay intact. The fishpond already has endured pollution in the water over time. Restoration workers have been keeping items they’ve found under the rocks in the water. So far, they’ve uncovered pottery, shells and many broken bottles.
It’s important, Kapahulehua said, that visitors and local swimmers in the area respect the integrity of the fishpond.
“This is a sacred wall. This is not a wall to sit on or be walked on,” he said.
The fishpond wall, while undergoing restoration, is vulnerable to falling down and could come down if someone were to walk or sit on it.
Kalepolepo Park is a popular swimming site on weekends because of its calm waters. Kapahulehua said people can continue to enjoy the beach and even swim in the waters, but they are asked to respect the fishpond and not jeopardize the restoration work.
For more information on the project, see the ’Ao’ao O Na Loko I’a Maui Web site at www.mauifishponds.com. |
