In 2016, the state launched the Sustainable Hawaiʻi Initiative, a new approach to managing the islands’ aquatic resources.
The initiative started with a pilot on sustainable fishing by tapping a hui of 20 members from the community to establish rules for harvesting.
The pilot was so successful that it’s now expanding to Hawaiʻi Island this month. Now it’s known as the Holomua Marine Initiative — Holomua meaning “move forward” in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
The idea was driven by then-Gov. David Ige, who strove for the state to protect 30% of its nearshore waters by 2030.
Holomua relies on state and federal funding, as well as a fund managed by Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, to work toward this goal.
To learn more about Holomua’s efforts, HPR spoke with Maile Shannon, a member of the Maui Navigation Team, and Edward “Luna” Kekoa, Ecosystem Management Program Manager for the state Division of Aquatic Resources.
Interview Highlights
On the importance of nearshore water conservation
MAILE SHANNON: My children are lawaiʻa. Their fathers are lawaiʻa, Grandfather was a lawaiʻa, and they are water people. And I say that, people, because they are paddlers, and my children spend a lot of time in the water. … So quite important to manage the resources, not only for the intake, but also to enjoy it, right? And so for us, it was just the connection, and the connectivity to ʻāina and the management of the resource and the lack of resource management. …
As most Hawaiʻi people will say, it's the icebox, right? We do partake from it, and in order to partake from it, we have to give the reciprocity of living, breathing thing, right? So there is that, that kuleana that is instilled in us as kanakas to take care of something that takes care of us, right? So that is the way we look at it.
On bringing the Holomua Marine Initiative to Hawaiʻi Island
LUNA KEKOA: And I think that's what Holomua was about, because DAR (Department of Aquatic Resources) doesn't have to be the one pushing and driving. The community is theirs and they want to succeed. And so we kind of just step back and let them do what they wanted to do. And I think that's the difference, that people support this. And now when we're going to Hawaiʻi Island, and it's like, yeah, we want this over here, because we see the opportunities.
And so now we're just having to kind of refine what we did in Maui for a bigger island. Maile can talk about some of the meetings where they, I mean, it's awesome. They call each other out. … And that's what I loved about it. It’s like you bring people together, all these different ideas and perspectives, you find solutions that wouldn't have been thought of originally. So that's the beauty of this.
On protecting Hawaiʻi’s waters
SHANNON: People speak to the resource. They are the resource. They are part of the ʻāina, I'm a true believer, and Luna knows this, that if you don't say anything, then you have nothing to say. If you choose to come back later on and give your two cents, then it's quite unfortunate, because you had that opportunity. Don't come after the fact. Come from the beginning, be part of the process, be open, be committed, and at the end of the day, it's really the resource is what we're looking at … and we have to care for it as it cares for us.
So for those that are considering the process, at least come once, listen to it. Resonate with it, as we say, as kanaka … let it sit, marinate for a little bit, right? Or sit in the muliwai, which is the fresh and salt water. That you're able to just kind of let it speak to you and see what it's going to say, and should I be involved in this process? Do I really have a stakeholdership in it, and what can I do to make our resource better? Just be part of the process, and don't be upset that you weren't when you had the chance.
The Holomua Marine Initiative launches on Hawaiʻi Island in May with a series of 7 talk story sessions, the first of which will be held on Tuesday, May 5 at the Kohala Intergenerational Center. More information and a link to RSVP to attend can be found here.
This story aired on The Conversation on May 4, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
