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socioeconomic concerns of the Hawaiians: the conservation of fish 

 resources and the fair and generous distribution of the catch. 

 The ali'i (chiefs) of Hawai ' 1 used kapu (laws) to prevent the 

 people from overfishing an area or fishing during spawning. Hau 

 tree branches were used to indicate a kapu against shore fishing 

 along a stretch of beach. Pukui explains how the fishing kapu 

 worked in the district of Ka'u on the Big Island of Hawai'i: 



There was never a time when all fishing was tabu. 

 When inshore fishing was tabu (kapu) , deep sea 

 fishing was permitted and vice versa. Summer 

 was the time when fish were most abundant and 

 and therefore the permitted time for inshore 

 fishing. . . . In winter, deep sea fishing was 

 permitted. . .When the kahuna (priest) had examine 

 the inshore area and noted the condition of the 

 animal and plant growths, and decided that they 

 were ready for use, that is, that the new growth 

 had had a chance to mature and become established 

 he reported to the chief of the area, and the chief 

 would end the kapu. For several days it remained the 



right of the chief After this, a lesser number of 



days were the privilege of the konohiki (overseer of 

 lands under an ali'i) . Following this period the area 

 was declared open to the use of all. (Titcomb 14) 



Kamakau describes the fishing kapu during the reign of 

 Kamehameha(b.l736-d.l8l9) : "He placed restrictions on sea 

 fisheries for periods of five months, and on the sixth month when 

 the restriction was removed and fishing was allowed all over the 

 land , the king and the commoners were usually the only ones to 

 share the first day's catch, and the landlords and the commoners 

 the second day's catch. After this the restrictions were 

 removed, allowing all to fish for six months. At the end of this 

 period restrictions were again placed over certain fish in order 

 that they might increase . These restrictions were also extended 

 to the deep sea fishing grounds where the kahala were caught and 

 the fish that go in schools, such as deep-sea squid, uhu, aku, 

 and flying fish" (Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii 177-8) . 



An important ancient fishing kapu concerned the 'opelu 

 (mackerel) and the aku (bonito) , two fish caught in great numbers 

 in Hawaiian waters: 'Cpelu was made kapu during the winter season 

 and free during the summer season and Aku was made kapu during 

 the summer and free during the winter season. This kapu had 

 religious sanction: both were descendants of a High chief Pa'ao. 

 Breaking the kapu could result in death. 



Like the fishing kapu with its threat of the death penalty, 

 it was also used to frighten people into obeying the rules of 

 conservation. Hawaiians were strict about taking more that is 

 needed or wasting. Every part of the fish was eaten, even bones 



