Application of Hawaiian traditions to community-based fishery management

The community in the Ho‘olehu Hawaiian Homesteads on the island of Moloka‘i is strengthening community influence and accountability for the health and long-term sustainability of their marine resources through revitalization of local traditions and resource knowledge. The traditional system in Hawai‘i emphasized social and cultural controls on fishing with acode of conduct that was strictly enforced. Local resource monitors, in conjunction with visiting scientists, are creating a predictive management tool based loosely on the Hawaiian moon calendar to guide responsible fishing practices. Community-sanctioned norms for fishing conduct are being reinforced through continual feedback based on local resource monitoring, education, and peer pressure. Hawaiian community building and proper cultural protocols are essential to understand and revitalize marine conservation traditions.