The Alakoko Fishpond near Nāwiliwili Harbor in East Kauaʻi is a one-of-a-kind cultural treasure. Established some 600 years ago on a bend of the Hūleʻia river, it’s believed to be the first fishpond built in brackish waters (a mix of kai and wai) in Hawaiʻi pae ʻāina. The methods and materials used to construct the 2,600-foot-long wall are unusual too. Many sections feature an earthen berm, others are primarily rockwall. Some areas are so deep, it’s likely kānaka had to dive underwater to put rocks in place. It’s so complex that some moʻolelo suggest Menehune helped build it, which is where its modern inoa — Menehune Fishpond — comes from.
As a wahi pana and Kauaʻi’s largest loko iʻa, the Alakoko Fishpond is no doubt worthy of preservation and restoration. In recent years and with the backing of KS Kaiāulu, the ‘āina-focused hui Mālama Hūleʻia has made great strides in not only protecting and restoring this place but transforming it into a learning lab for future ʻōiwi leaders.
Peleke Flores, Mālama Hūleʻia’s director of community and ‘āina engagement, says Alakoko is uniquely suited for place-based learning.
“Within 50 feet from the pond, you have a spring which feeds a loʻi kalo, there’s also ‘auwai leading to the fishpond which then leads to the sea. All this is within a very short distance. Normally you would have to drive and make several stops to see all these things.”
Haumāna from almost every kula on Kauaʻi have listened and learned at Alakoko.
“I think we learn more from the haumāna. Like Kapaʻa High School, they did DNA testing within the waters and they found several different kinds of fish and plankton DNA.”
For the past five+ years, KS Kaiāulu has helped uplift Mālama Hūleʻia and its educational mission.
“I’ve witnessed the remarkable transformation Mālama Hūleʻia has helped create in recent years. Their mission has expanded from a wetland restoration initiative primarily focused on removing encroaching red mangroves along the river, to a dynamic force that constantly challenges the underlying reasons for our actions,” said Erin Kauhaealae Cobb-Adams KSK’99, KS community engagement manager for the Kauaʻi/Niʻihau region.
Cobb-Adams says the restoration work happening at Alakoko is impressive too. Volunteers have cleared out 26 acres of invasive red mangrove. Their next big-ticket item is clearing 16 acres of submerged sediment that built up over time in the mangroves’ complex root system. But the mangrove removal alone has already had a big impact on native plants.
“We’ve been observing native plants like ʻaeʻae for instance. The baby oʻopu hide underneath when the tide is low and then when the tide rises they go out and explore more. We also have makaloa and native birds like ʻalae ʻula like them, they pick at the seeds a lot,” said Flores who also says the Alakoko Fishpond offers countless lessons in ʻike kūpuna.
“The past 100 years mostly focused on the economic value of fishponds. For instance, how many pounds of fish per acre per year and converting that into a dollar value. But that’s not how our kūpuna viewed it. This pond is an amplifier. Plankton blooms feed baby fish which then overflow into the nearshore fisheries, which feed the larger pelagic fish and that starts to fill up our ʻoutside icebox’, the ocean, which allowed everyone in that time to go out and take from there. It’s a different mindset.”
Flores and Mālama Hulēʻia have been changing mindsets through monthly volunteer events which build community, and they’ve even developed online curriculum to deepen understanding of place.
Cobb-Adams marveled at the success of an event called E Kū Ana Ka Paia. In fall 2023, nearly 2,000 volunteers comprised of uhau humu pōhaku (Hawaiian stone masons), loko iʻa experts and others helped restore parts of the Alakoko rockwall in what’s believed to be the largest modern workday gathering ever on Kauaʻi.
“Mālama Hulēʻia prioritizes community education. Their focus on loko iʻa as a bio-indicator — a cultural practice that amplifies the concept of wai momona (abundant water) and ultimately contributes to a thriving watershed,” said Cobb-Adams.
Flores sees a bright future for restoration and reclamation across the pae ʻāina.
“All we need are a couple of great examples on each island and then it starts to amplify and spread. This [Alakoko Fishpond] can be one example for here. This is our biggest fishpond on Kauaʻi, it can be the training ground so that people can learn and then begin restoring other fishponds on this island.”
You’ll find more about Mālama Hūleʻia and its mission here.
KS Kaiāulu uplifts a wide array of community centered resources and opportunities that embrace keiki, ʻōpio and ʻohana.
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