Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 1, 1 January 2022 — DLNR Releases Plan to Restore Reef Fish Populations [ARTICLE]

DLNR Releases Plan to Restore Reef Fish Populations

In November the Department of Land and Natural Resources' (DLNR) Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) released a plan to sustainably manage Hawai'i's reef fish populations by implementing sustainable harvesting practices to protect our reefs for both current and future generations. The plan, called Holomua: Marine 30x30 Initiative Sustainable Herbivore Management, includes four "pillars:" plaeebased planning; pono practices; monitoring; and protection and restoration. The plan incorporates a mauka to makai approach and will rely on community engagement. Key actions outlined in the plan include implementing regulations (place-based and statewide) to promote sustainable fishing practices, enhancing monitoring efforts to track efforts and evaluate effectiveness, and collaborating with stakeholders and partners to better address land-based impacts. The plan will be reviewed every five years to ensure that management actions are effective and that sustainability targets are adjusted as needed. The intricate ecosystems of the coral reefs face both loeal and global challenges. In addition to place-based issues such as invasive species, excess nutrient runoff, damage from oeean activities and unsustainable fishing practices, our coral reefs and the life they support are also at risk from climate change, pollution, oeean acidification and marine debris. In addition to the obvious cultural and environmental issues related to protecting and preserving healthy reef ecosystems, fishing is an important industry in Hawai'i. Commercial and non-commercial fishing in Hawai'i is worth $10-$16 million annually. To read the plan go to: https://dlnr. hawaii.gov/marine30x30/files/2021/ ll/Sustainable-Herbivore-Manage-ment-Plan_Final-2021-2.pdf