The use of fishponds was integrated into the socio-economic culture of Hawai’ i for hundreds of years. Prior to contact with the Europeans in 1778, there were estimates of 360 fishponds producing over 900,000 kg fish/year. Since contact with the westerners , the use of fishponds has decreased but a restoration and cultural revival is underway. Hawaiian f ishponds are known to produce many species of finfish (mullet, milkfish, gobies, perch, etc.), seaweeds, shellfish, and terrestrial crops . Kauai Sea Farm (KSF ) will be the first to culture sea cucumbers in their fishpond.
KSF operates the Nomilo fishpond, an 18-acre pond formed in the caldera of an extinct volcano that filled with water. Two channels (auwai ) connect the pond to the ocean allowing fresh and salt water to mix . Nomilo is ideal for growing a wide range of species. Currently, KSF is growing northern quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria), Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) . In 2022, KSF will be introducing three native species of sea cucumbers Stichopus horrens , Holothuria whitmaei and Actinopyga varians to their fishpond.
Sea cucumbers are a highly valued species and have been consumed, primarily in Asia, since ancient times as both foods and traditional medicines (Mohsen et al., 2021). A high market demand still exists today, and wild stocks are often overfished and overexploited (Eggertsen et al., 2020). Sea cucumber aquaculture exists throughout the world especially in China, Madagascar, and Australia. With the high demand most sea cucumbers, wild caught or cultured, are exported to Asia for final sale. The aim of this study is to investigate a domestic and international markets for three species of native Hawaiian sea cucumbers grown in Nomil o, primarily in Hawaii and the USA.