How can we learn, model, and share the idea of "Fishing Pono" with our community to ensure healthy fishing grounds for future generations?
Our goal is to determine the spawning activity of fish in our ahupuaa, develop observation skills (kilo), and promote sustainable harvesting ethics that will allow the fish population to grow. We want to be good stewards of our land, river, and ocean. We also want to learn about how things used to be because it's not like that anymore. There are less fish to catch along our Waimea to Kekaha shoreline as well as in our Waimea river.
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Has the fishing grounds in our ahupua'a changed over time? |
Why is collecting the data of spawning fish important? |
Many people who have lived and fished in our ahupua'a as children some 50 years ago recall a time when fish was abundant along our shoreline and in our Waimea River. They speak of how more than 100 people in our community would get together to hukilau near the Waimea Landing and how o'opu could be caught in the river as big as their forearm and hand. Fishing is how our community came together, but today there is no hukilau nat the Landing or o'opu in our river. Now, those who fished as children with their parents and grandparents, return to the landing in the evening to fish with their grandchildren and families.
Where we are fishing?This fisheries class began in the second semester of this school year and meets twice a week afterschool. So far, we have fished along the Waimea river and river mouth area, the Waimea Landing, and the Kekaha Small Boat Harbor.
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It is important for us to collect the spawning data of the fish in our ahupua'a so that we can begin to understand when to catch, keep, or release certain fish. We learned about what the community of Hanalei has done with their Tide and Moon calendar and are looking to do something similar. With the help and assistance of Uncle Yumi Yasutake, we learned how to identify fish reproductive organs, to measure and weigh, and properly document our information.
What is Fishing Pono?We believe that fishing pono means to do the right thing even when people aren't watching. It means that we don't over-fish and only take what we need for our family, that we don't take fish that are spawning so that we can have plenty fish to catch later, and to take the legal size. We know it's hard for some people to do this now, but back in the day there were plenty fish because everyone fished pono.
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The land and sea provided the Hawaiian with everything he needed to sustain himself. His diet helped him maintain a healthy, disease-free body.
~Chad Baybayan