Holomua Marine 30×30 community planning process launches on Maui

Fishers, divers, surfers, cultural practitioners, kūpuna and everyone interested in marine resources, is invited to attend the Maui kick-off of the Holomua Marine 30×30 community planning process.

The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources is hosting a series of in-person events across the Valley Isle. This is an opportunity for the Maui community to become familiar with the Holomua Initiative, share Maui stories of smaller scale efforts, and gain the larger community’s input to inspire Maui’s marine resource management efforts ahead.

The three, identical talk story sessions are being hosted in Wailuku, Lahaina, and Hāna at the following days and times:

• Wailuku: Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, 5 to 9 p.m. at the J. Walter Cameron Center “Ekolu” Auditorium, 95 Mahalani Street
• Lahaina: Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, 1 to 5 p.m. at the Lahaina Intermediate School Cafeteria, 871 Lahainaluna Road
• Hāna: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, 1 to 5 p.m. at Ala Kukui “Hālau” Building, 4224 Hāna Highway

Maui community members will be asked to share their knowledge about nearshore waters and how to can come together to keep families fishing for generations to come.

“The Holomua Marine 30×30 planning process is totally dependent on resource user participation. We highly encourage Maui residents to come out and attend one of the talk story events this month and share stories about Maui’s nearshore resources” said Brian Neilson, DAR Administrator.

During the events, DAR will seek input from local marine resources users to help guide the development of Maui’s Navigation team, a diverse group of local resource users tasked with the design of the island’s interconnected networks of Marine Management Areas.

Officials with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, DAR, say they will begin with Maui, and will continue with communities on each of the main Hawaiian Islands. Through Holomua Marine 30×30, the department plans to “weave cultural, community, and scientific knowledge to create interconnected networks of MMAs by 2030.”

The initiative is a component of the broader Sustainable Hawai‘i Initiative.

A recent survey found that more than four in five Hawai‘i residents support the establishment of a network of MMAs for each island.

“Holomua means ‘moving forward.’ Together, as a community move forward to achieve a shared vision of healthy marine ecosystems and abundant nearshore resources so that all future generations we can continue to enjoy our coastal waters, support livelihoods, and feed their families,” according to a department news release.

For more information, visit www.dlnr.hawaii.gov/holomua.