Malama Loko Ea Leads the Restoration of an Ancient Fishpond in Haleiwa Hawaii

There is an ancient 12 acre fishpond on the outskirts of Haleiwa Town on the island of Oahu. The 400-year old loko i'a could soon provide fish for the North Shore community, something that hasn't been done in the area for centuries. There used to be hundreds of fishponds in Hawaii and now their are less than 40 most of which are on the island of Molokai.

Malama Loko Ea, an non profit organization, is trying to make this revival a reality. Rae DeCoito, executive director for Malama Loko Ea fishpond said, "This was used for the food supply for the Ali'i, instead of tapping into the communities resources."

This fishpond has been neglected for decades. Malama Loko Ea is working with the community to restore the pond. These rare fishponds are a mixture of fresh water from the mountains and salt water from the ocean and it provides food naturally.

After decades of development, the number of functioning fishponds has decreased from several hundred to about 40 statewide. The most still existing on Molokai.

I really hope this is a sign of things to come. The State of Hawaii needs to do all it can to support efforts to preserve the land.