Maui Nearshore Management Proposal information exchanges planned in September

Maui residents are encouraged to attend one of three upcoming information exchange sessions to provide feedback on managing Maui’s nearshore waters. The community-nominated “Maui Navigation Team” has developed a management proposal in partnership wtih the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources.

DAR and the Maui Navigation Team are hosting island-wide information exchanges to share recommendations and receive feedback.

• Hāna: Sept. 24, 2024, 5:30–7 p.m.: Helene Hall, 74 Keawa Pl., Hāna
• Lahaina: Sept. 25, 2024, 5:30–7 p.m.: Lahaina Intermediate School Cafeteria, 871 Lahainaluna Rd., Lahaina
• Kahului: Sept. 26, 2024, 5:30–7 p.m.: Maui Waena Intermediate School Cafeteria, 795 Oneheʻe Ave., Kahului

“We are inviting Maui residents to join the conversation and provide feedback on a draft proposal with the goal to strengthen effective management of Maui’s nearshore waters, ensuring healthy reefs and abundant resources for future generations,” said DAR Administrator Brian Neilson.

The Maui pilot process launched in October 2022 with a series of community-wide talk story sessions to learn more about community concerns regarding the status of nearshore resources and management priorities. The Holomua Marine Initiative has strived to convene an inclusive, bottom-up approach to marine resource management that is community-led and community-driven. 

When the process first launched, the Maui community nominated a Navigation Team: a 16-member group of Maui fishers, community leaders, cultural practitioners and scientists, who were selected based on their deep connections to and knowledge of the nearshore waters of Maui. This team represents 10 of the 12 Maui moku. Fifteen members self-identify as fishers or coming from fishing families. DLNR officials report they bring decades of experience with Maui’s nearshore resources and knowledge of local fishing practices.

The team worked through each of the Holomua Marine Initiative’s four pillars: place-based planning, pono practices, monitoring and restoration. Key topics that came up included the role of marine managment areas in planning, sensible fishing rules geared to reduce unsustainable fishing practices, the need for improved enforcement and coming up with new ideas to improve compliance.

The team also discussed the importance of addressing land-based threats to the nearshore reefs such as the impact of injection wells, sedimentation and the need to return fresh water to estuaries. From these passionate discussions, the team drafted management recommendations that balance the need for sustainable harvest to feed Maui families and to strengthen effective management of nearshore resources like fish and corals.