New ocean management plan considers Native Hawaiian ‘cultural solutions’

Native Hawaiian cultural practices for the first time will be considered when drawing up statewide management plans for protecting and conserving Hawaii’s ocean and coastal resources.

"That’s something very new to this plan," state Land and Natural Resources Director William Aila said Thursday after Gov. Neil Abercrombie approved the 2013 Hawaii Ocean Resources Management Plan. "It separates from all other former plans."

The five-year plan identifies 11 management priorities for conservation and sustainability of ocean and coastal resources; outlines goals for county, state and federal partners; and sets benchmarks to measure progress. Priorities are based on community outreach conducted in all four counties through public meetings, oral and written submissions, and social media, the Governor’s Office said.

Aila said some of the management blueprints include consultation with Hawaiian groups to examine whether "cultural solutions" exist that would incorporate native practices for sustaining plants, animals and land together in an inclusive manner.

"There are many situations where resources — either plants or animals or rocks — were used in Hawaiian ceremonies," Aila said. "They’re not looked at only from the standpoint of being a biological resource or a species resource.

"We’re talking about ecosystem management — managing these things across different species and different ecosystems that are required for continued sustainability."

The state Office of Planning is charged with periodically reviewing and revising the Ocean Resources Management Plan, while progress and benchmarks are to be measured by the Office of Information Management and Technology.

Abercrombie noted that management plans include the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the Papaha­nau­mokuakea Marine National Monument.

"We’re talking about the ocean, not just our economic zone or the state’s responsibilities through DLNR or the Ocean Harbors Division," Abercrombie said. "It reaches out to the entire responsibility that we have, reaching out all the way as we approach our brothers and sisters in Japan and throughout the rest of the Pacific islands."

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The 2013 Hawaii Ocean Resources Management Plan is available at the Office of Planning website: planning.hawaii.gov.