Fishers encouraged to weigh in on Reef Habitat Plan to improve fish habitat

The local fishing community is encouraged to help shape the future of nearshore fishing in Hawaiʻi, by engaging with the Reef Habitat Plan, a statewide initiative to improve nearshore fish habitat in areas of need.

Launched by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), the project is focused on habitat restoration and will not propose any new fishing rules or regulations. State officials say the plan will help direct funding and resources toward the goal of improving nearshore fisheries abundance.

DAR recognizes that Hawai‘i’s fishers hold generations of experience and knowledge about our marine resources and this understanding serves as the foundation of the project. An online survey is currently open to gather feedback from the state’s nearshore fishing community with two principal questions — how and where can we improve nearshore habitat? The survey is available on the Reef Habitat Plan website.

“ʻFor Fishers, By Fishers’ means that we’re working hand-in-hand with the fishing community to create a plan fishermen want,” said Tyler Kueffner, DAR Reef Restoration and Fisheries liaison. “Lawaiʻa voices on this project are essential to ensuring government is responding to what fishers already know.”

Restoration methods that the fishing community has already identified include creating artificial reefs, coral outplanting, invasive limu removal, research into the impacts of invasive roi, ta‘ape and to‘au, as well as working with other agency partners to address freshwater quality and quantity issues. Feasibility will be assessed for each site, while considering practicality, cost, existing habitat conditions and interagency collaboration. Funding for the Reef Habitat Plan is provided by federal coral reef restoration grants.

To date, the project has garnered over 250 survey participants through in-person outreach events on Moloka‘i, Maui, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i, as well as virtual engagement on social media. In the coming weeks, DAR invites interested fishers to participate in a series of island-specific meetings which will focus on particular areas of each island where fish habitat should be improved. These efforts will continue into early 2025, guiding the development of a draft plan with input from fishers, biologists and other agency partners.

Nearshore fishers are deeply invested in the future of Hawai‘i’s marine resources, and DAR encourages them to share their input. “The best way to get involved,” says Kueffner, “is to complete the online survey. It’s anonymous and takes three minutes.”

• Reef Habitat Plan Website: https://arcg.is/5v84S0
• Online Survey: https://arcg.is/vaDvX0
• Live Survey Results: https://histategis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/ff8813e8be664d2abb0a3a3485fc39f2