Isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, more than 2,000 miles from any major landforms, Hawaii is an archipelago that works very hard to maintain and honor the ways of its ancestors. This is especially true when it comes to the preservation of Hawaii’s native landscapes and agricultural practices. One such agricultural practice that Hawaii has been perfecting for hundreds of years is the art of loko iʻa, fish pond aquaculture. Hawaiian historian Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau said, “Fishponds, loko i‘a, were things that beautified the land, and a land with many fishponds was called ‘fat’ land (‘āina momona).”

At the time of the development of the practice, loko i‘a were technologically innovative. It was a method of herding fish in a sustainable way that provided high yields with minimal input. Mahi i‘a (fish farmers) would build lava rock walls along the shore. These rock walls would encircle areas with shallow reef flats where fish would naturally congregate. The rock wall would then herd and contain the fish in a pond where they could be easily harvested by the mahi i‘a. Over the years, the ponds became more advanced and served as a central aspect of Hawaii’s economy and culture.

Unfortunately, Europeanization, which led to changes in cultural practices, eventually led to a decline in Hawaii’s rich native fish pond culture. In modern times, this has been impacted even more by urbanization and environmental challenges. In the early 2000s, groups like the Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa formed as a network of native kiaʻi loko iʻa (fishpond practitioners) to help restore the loko i‘a culture. “Loko iʻa practice reflects a deep Indigenous understanding of the environmental, ecological, and social processes specific to our islands,” the organization’s website states. “In addition to today’s work of reclaiming physical spaces, our collective work is to also reclaim the innovation and resilience inherent to our Indigenous ways of knowing, observing, managing, and thriving in our environment.”

And just as the first loko i‘a were technologically advanced for their time, today Hawaii has new technology to help ensure the success of its native fishpond restoration practices. A group of researchers from the University of Hawaii (UH) has teamed up with kiaʻi loko iʻa in Hilo, HI, to use drones as a tool in assisting fishpond restoration. The goal of the study was to see if drones could be used to protect these coastal cultural heritage sites. The team published their findings in the June 20, 2024, issue of the Journal of Remote Sensing. The paper was titled “Highlighting the Use of UAV to Increase the Resilience of Native Hawaiian Coastal Cultural Heritage.”

Earth Sciences doctoral student in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Kainalu Steward, was the lead author on the project. In the paper’s abstract, Steward explains, “Sea level rise (SLR) poses a significant climate-induced threat to coastal areas globally. Loko i′a managers seek adaptive strategies to address SLR impacts on flooding, water quality, and the viability of raising native fish species. This study utilizes extreme tidal events, known as King Tides, as a proxy to estimate future SLR scenarios and their impacts on loko i′a along the Keaukaha coastline in Hilo, Hawai′i.” The team combined data collected by sensors submerged along the coastline and images taken by drones to develop baseline, progressing, and predictive models of how King Tides would impact the coastline of Hilo and, thus, the loko iʻa. The data was collected throughout the 2023 summer season.

“We discovered that drones are effective and cost-efficient tools for mapping loko iʻa at the community level, providing kiaʻi loko iʻa with better insights into the timing and locations of flooding and future sea level rise impacts on their fishponds,” said Steward. With this data, further projects can be undertaken to restore the loko iʻa of Hawaii’s kūpuna (ancestors). “Loko iʻa are examples of how our kūpuna have adapted to changes in climate for generations, and we want to contribute toward their resilience and perpetuation by integrating modern technology,” said Steward. Hawaii’s native fishponds are a way that the rest of the world can learn by example how to protect and utilize natural resources for a healthy, productive future. With the help of drone technologies Hawaii’s restored loko i‘a have the opportunity to once again make Hawaii āina momona, a land fat with sustainable aquaculture.

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