Description
The royal fishpond at Kīholo stands as a testament to Native Hawaiian ingenuity—a highly refined aquaculture system that provided a sustainable supply of fish to the surrounding community for centuries.
In 2011, this historic cultural treasure was donated to TNC by Angus Mitchell, son of legendary hair care icon Paul Mitchell.
Ecological Significance
In Hawai‘i, fishpond estuaries function as a vital interface between land and coastal waters, providing habitat for native flora and fauna above and below their sheltered waters. At Kīholo, between three and five million gallons of submarine groundwater flows through the fishponds into coastal waters each day, boosting the productivity of nearshore coral reefs and reef fisheries.
Once prevalent along island shores, many fishponds were destroyed or fell into disrepair in recent decades. Fortunately, some survived, and today there is increased statewide interest in re-establishing these important cultural resources and enhancing local food security.
What TNC is Doing
TNC works in close partnership with community group Hui Aloha Kīholo to restore productivity to Kīholo Preserve. With help from expert dry-stack masons and more than 6,000 volunteers, we rebuilt the pond’s traditional rock walls and removed invasive trees and weeds that encroached on the pond and clogged waterways.
After fencing critical access points to keep out feral goats, we began restoring native vegetation using seedlings grown in an on-site nursery. Together with our partners, we continue to monitor the effects of these efforts on water quantity and quality as well as fish abundance, diversity, and recruitment. Read more about this special place and its hoa ‘āina (caretakers).
To participate in quarterly volunteer workdays at Kīholo, contact TNC’s Hawaiʻi Island Marine Coordinator Barbara Seidel at barbara.seidel@tnc.org.
