Marine Recreation Operators Join Forces with Conservationists to Protect Hawaii's Marine Environment

Dive and snorkel operators and local conservation organizations have joined forces to raise money for marine conservation on the Big Island and Maui. Through an innovative new program called the Reef Fund, dive and snorkel operators solicit voluntary donations from their clients to fund high priority marine protection programs on their islands, such as the repair and installation of mooring buoys, the protection of nesting and resting beaches for rare and endangered sea turtles and monk seals, and the establishment of local education and outreach programs to protect marine resources.

According to Ed Robinson, a founding member of the Maui Reef Fund and president of Ed Robinson Diving Adventures, “The industry is leading this effort because as commercial operators, we feel that we hold the ultimate responsibility in conserving the reef resources we utilize, and the Maui Reef Fund is a positive step in this direction."

According to Kim Hum, Acting Marine Director for The Nature Conservancy’s Hawai‘i Program, “The Nature Conservancy helped establish the Reef Fund here in Hawaii because similar programs in other parts of the world have demonstrated that most ocean users, particularly divers and snorkelers, are willing to help fund programs that protect the marine environment. We believe the same is true in Hawai‘i where the ocean is such a huge part of what makes our islands so enjoyable for residents and visitors alike.”

A survey done by the Conservancy and the State Division of Aquatic Resources in 2003 indicated that 80% of those surveyed were willing to pay $5 per snorkel/dive day into a private fund for marine resource protection programs. “With more than 1 million annual visitors to Molokini alone, the potential for this program is huge,” says Hum.

On Maui, the Reef Fund is coordinated by the local non-profit Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund. On the Big Island, the fund is managed by the Waimea-based non-profit Malama Kai Foundation. Donations collected by marine recreation operators are pooled into a collective fund on each island, and managed by the non-profit which is advised by a committee of operators, conservationists, scientists, and other stakeholders. The advisory committees decide how the funds will be spent on their islands.

While the majority of the other fee-based marine protection funds around the world are mandated by the local or national governments, Hawaii’s is voluntary. According to Teri Leicher of Jack’s Dive Locker, one of the founding members of the Big Island Reef Fund, “Our clients are interested in giving donations to a private fund for projects that benefit the areas they use and the communities and environment surrounding those areas”

Lisa Choquette of Dive Makai, one of the Big Island Reef Fund's biggest supporters, adds, "This is a program run by private businesses, conservation groups, and concerned individuals - not by the state. We are doing this because we believe that our irreplaceable marine environment must be protected, and that what is good for the environment, is good for business, plain and simple." A Maui Reef Fund founding member, Ann Fielding of Ann Fielding snorkel, adds “The Reef Fund’s tag line is ‘Support the Reef Fund and we all get something back’ and that is truly how we feel, everyone benefits from a healthy environment.”

According to Hannah Bernard of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, “Hawaii’s coastal waters are blessed with miles of exquisite coral reefs, and more than ¼ of the islands’ marine life is found nowhere else on Earth. Private action and private money are essential in helping to ensure that these ocean resources are protected. Government budgets are not sufficient, particularly in Hawai‘i where government funding for marine management is among the lowest in the nation.” Rick Gaffney, Co-Chair of the West Hawaii Fisheries Council, adds, “While we support the state’s work, we all recognize that they lack the resources necessary to adequately manage Hawaii’s unparalleled marine resources. This is private industry’s effort to help bridge that gap.”

The Reef Fund is a voluntary alliance of marine recreation operators and conservation organizations working to ensure that our islands’ coral reefs and coastal resources remain healthy for generations to come. Participating operators on the Big Island include Dive Makai, Jack’s Dive Locker, Fair Wind Cruises, Body Glove, and Hualalai Water Sports at Four Seasons. To find out more about the Big Island Reef Fund, go to www.malama-kai.org.

Participating operators on Maui include Lahaina Divers, Maui Dive Shop, Ann Fielding Snorkel, Project S.E.A. Link, Kai Kanani, Mike Severns Diving, A3H, Price Kuhio, Maui Dreams Dive, Extended Horizons, Trilogy Excursions, Ed Robinson Diving Adventures, Atlantis Submarines, Octopus Reef, Coral Reef Network. To find out more about the Maui Reef Fund, go to www.hawaiiwildlifefund.org.

For additional information contact:

Hannah Bernard, President, Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, (808) 579-9138

Marni Herkes, Volunteer Administrator, Big Island Reef Fund, (808) 987-2171

Kim Hum, Acting Marine Program Director, The Nature Conservancy, 808-587-6244