Public input sought for managing Maui’s near-shore waters

The Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources’ Holomua Marine Initiative invites Maui residents to join the conversation and share their input on a revised draft proposal developed to protect Maui’s near-shore waters that will ensure healthy reefs and abundant resources for generations to come.

For over two years, the community-nominated Maui Navigation Team has worked with DAR to create draft management recommendations with the Maui community. These were first shared with the public through three information sessions held in September 2024.

Thanks to the feedback received during these earlier sessions, the navigation team has further revised the proposal to reflect the priorities and needs of the Maui community and now seeks additional input to further refine the revised draft proposal.

The public is asked to RSVP to attend one of the upcoming sessions:

• July 29, 5:30 to 8 p.m. – Mayor Hannibal Tavares Pukalani Community Center, 91 Pukalani Street, Pukalani
• Aug. 5, 5:30 to 8 p.m. – Kihei Community Center, 303 E. Lipoa Street, Kihei

First launched in October 2022, the Holomua Marine Initiative utilized an inclusive, bottom-up approach to managing marine resources. Driven by the community, it incorporates local ecological and cultural knowledge.

The community nominated members to form a navigation team, a 16-member hui of Maui fishers, community leaders, cultural practitioners and scientists tasked to co-develop a near-shore management plan with support from DAR. Representing 10 of the 12 Maui moku (regional land division), each member brings decades of experience with Maui’s near-shore resources and knowledge of local fishing practices.

The team’s management proposal centers around Holomua Marine Initiative’s four main pillars for effective management — place-based planning, pono practices, monitoring and restoration. According to DLNR, some of the key topics in the draft proposal include:

• Fishing rules geared toward reducing unsustainable fishing practices
• Improved enforcement and strengthening compliance
• Create a habitat restoration area
• Address land-based threats to the nearshore reefs such as injection wells and sedimentation

Per DLNR, the draft recommendations offer a holistic approach to managing Maui’s near-shore waters and balance the need for conservation and restoration of resources such as fish and coral while allowing sustainable harvesting to continue feeding the Maui community.