Loko iʻa are an advanced, extensive form of aquaculture found nowhere else in the world.
They enhance nearshore areas and were essential components of traditional food systems in Hawaiʻi, providing food security and community resilience. In the wake of the social and political upheaval following the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, loko iʻa production dropped. By 1970, loko iʻa only produced 20,000 pounds of fish--less than 1 percent of what they produced at their peak.
Today, the majority of sites are highly degraded, some completely covered and unrecognizable as fishponds. Barriers to restoration include: altered watersheds and diversion of water, invasive species, permitting processes that are not well-designed to accommodate restoration, and loss of generational knowledge for management and care of loko iʻa.
Over past decades, communities worked to restore loko iʻa around the islands and reclaim the knowledge and practice of loko iʻa culture. In 2004, recognizing the current challenges and in an effor t to increase collaboration, restoration and food production, kiaʻi loko (guardians/caretakers) formed the Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa, a network of loko iʻa from six Hawaiian i slands. As an ever growing network of committed and skilled site-based caretakers the Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa has improved and accelerated the loko iʻa stewardship movement.
Loko iʻa practice is the result of over a thousand years of generational knowledge, experimentation and adaptation and reflects a deep indigenous understanding of the environmental, ecological and social processes specific to our islands
. Their revitalization today goes hand-in-hand with the revitalization of Hawaiian language, arts, architecture and diet. Loko iʻa are thus celebrated for their past and future potential to provide opportunities for Native Hawaiians and the larger community to renew ʻāina momona, an abundant, productive ecological system that supports community well-being. A panel of kiaʻi loko will discuss various aspects of progress and the next steps for Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa and the reactivatoin of loko iʻa throughout Hawaiʻi.