39 



for fishery population dynamics to be researched and identified. The use of striped 

 mullet, actually enhances the environment, purely as a species characteristic. They 

 graze and are 90% efficient in consuming organic silt and detritus build-up. (see 

 Stock Enhancement Program Meets with Success," The Oceanic Institute Newsline, 

 Vol. 4, No. 4 (December 1991), pps. 1-2.) 



Within my experiences as an aquaculturist, I have had the opportunity to develop 

 field and classroom curriculum that has contributed to hands-on education process 

 using loko i'a as a teaching resource for various disciplines — Hawaiian culture, fine 

 arts, chemistry, astronomy, computer programming, biology, history, oceanography, 

 archaeology, business entrepreneurship, resource management, environmental stud- 

 ies and so on. It is Hawaiian Sciences at it's best, (see Aquaculture Workshop Par- 

 ticipants Perform Baseline Study for National Park, The Oceanic Institute 

 Newsline, Vol. 5, No. 3 (September 1992), pps. 1-2) 



I would advocate for an educational curriculum utilizing these Hawaiian Sciences. 

 A type of learning that would incorporate traditional applications and eventually ac- 

 commodate and integrate all levels of academics in elementary, secondary, higher 

 education, research, thesis, etc. And the loko i'a is the textbook, (see Nakagawa, 

 Alan. "Aquaculture Science Project, Grades 11-12," Invitation to Excellence, New 

 Ideas for Teaching Mathematics and Science, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 1992 Busi- 

 ness Week Awards.) 



To re-open the use of these dormant farms would contribute to releasing land for 

 other uses, as the physical structure of the fishponds are still intact. Economic con- 

 tributions are more straight forward, once the loko i'a are removed from the heavy 

 permit criteria and restored. The benefits take many economic forms of fishery en- 

 hancement not only for food but for recreation and eco tourism, (see Kent Fleming, 

 Graydon Keala and William Monahan. "The Economics of Revitalizing Hawaiian 

 Fishpond Production," AgriBusiness, Number 9, February 1995.) 



Compromising all Hawaiian Fishpond Revitalization efforts are the existence of 

 Federal, State and County permits and regulations that put the Hawaiian fishpond 

 at risk of never being utilized again. The main issue in the restoration of the loko 

 i'a is the permit process. When this problem is resolved all the other beneficial by- 

 products can be realized; i.e., education, economic development, cultural rehabilita- 

 tion, self-sufficiency, fishery enhancement, resource renewal, etc. (see Permits and 

 Regulations for Aquaculture in Hawaii. Aquaculture Development Program, Dept. of 

 Land and Natural Resources.) 



Permit Problems and Issues. The permit and regulatory process has held Hawai- 

 ian Fishponds hostage for decades. In a pending Fishpond Restoration project on 

 Molokai, the pond operator has faced a multitude of Federal, State and County per- 

 mit applications that has cost over $65,000 in costs and is on its 3rd year of permit 

 application approvals-pending. This actual case study involving permits, has also 

 caused a division in the community and conflicts within departmental agencies, (see 

 Hawanan Fishpond Revitalization Project and the Oceanic Institute. Hawaiian Fish- 

 pond Revitalization, Proceedings of Hana Symposium II, September 22-24, 1993.) 



In the 1994 and 1995 State Legislature Session, an initiative was introduced as 

 legislation to "streamline" the permits for restoration of these traditional Hawaiian 

 Fishponds. House Bill 3010 and its successor House Bill 1763 were promoted. This 

 bill provided an aggressive approach to the permit process, removing all elements 

 of rules and regulations and putting this process under one"clearing-house". This 

 "clearing-house would be allowed the ability to provide an affordable, short track 

 process incorporating protective measures to provide safeguards to any regulatory 

 abuse and misuse. In order to do this, Traditional Hawaiian Fishpond Management 

 methodology would be mandatory in the restoration process and operational man- 

 agement of all loko ia. 



"Traditional Hawaiian Fishpond Management methodology would support the re- 

 storative outcome as a benign environmental impact, Hawaiians incorporated har- 

 mony with the environment as religious protocol. The economic incentive would in- 

 volve an extensive rather than intensive production level, traditionally 350-600 lbs. I 

 acre I year. Use of traditional ia species — ama ama, awa, moi, dhole, etc., would be 

 cultured. These fishes enhanced their environment and are biologically more compat- 

 ible with each other. From a federal and state level, there are historic preservation 

 laws that support and protect this type of cultural effort." 



In 1995, House Bill 1763 introduced and passed a "streamline" permit process to 

 assist Hawaiian Fishpond restoration and preservation activities. Although a bill 

 was crafted, there were some key compromises and the Federal Government was not 

 included intimately in the development of the bill strategy. Federal cooperation 

 would have played a major role in Hawaiian fishpond exemptions, permit cost re- 

 ductions, and time conditions that would benefit this initiative. Permit facilitation 

 is the next area of consideration, what specific form the new application would take, 



