The Hawaii Kai Marina Association, which manages Ke Ahupua o Maunalua (aka Kuapa Pond/Hawaii Kai Marina), could be more creative in how it manages areas in the marina.
Rim Island 2, an islet built for dredged sediment that has become a native aquatic bird habitat in the marina, presents an opportunity for a prospective community revitalization project for Kuapa Pond.
Kuapa Pond — over the years since dredging first occurred in the 1960s and once the largest fishpond in Polynesia at over 500 acres — has become culturally void. The pond was once a productive wetland abundant with fish, birds and other wildlife — but has been replaced by what today is a marina and fill land with homes.
Why not strike a balance and have certain areas in and adjacent to Kuapa Pond restored with native habitat where feasible?
Feasibility chances could increase with community involvement and allow more people to enjoy and benefit from this historic fishpond by learning about its history and culture. This would lead more people to want to take care of it and help fund restoration and maintenance projects.
Native bird ecosystems have been mostly destroyed on Oahu. Rim Island 2 is an area where there is opportunity for a community restoration project that could bring back some of the history and culture in which birds and fish played a large part.
Rim Island 2 restoration could go hand in hand with existing projects such as at Paiko Lagoon and Keawawa wetland, where the community is involved in enhancing Maunalua areas where native birds such the ae‘o, auku‘u, ‘alae‘ula and ‘alae ke‘oke‘o live or visit.
Projects such as these provide benefit for the broader community and increase diversity in Kuapa above and beyond just permitted marina water-craft recreation or enjoyment for marina-front homes only. Beyond those limited uses, Kuapa Pond offers greater potential for education, culture and healthy outdoor community participation.
Increasing stewardship of certain areas in Kuapa Pond under the guidance of cultural practitioners could increase community interest, which in turn would increase community energy input and funding to assist the Hawaii Kai Marina Association improve its management philosophy and increase its recognition of the culture and history of this important site in Maunalua.
With increased kuleana of the fishpond by the community, maintenance projects such as dredging and disposal of dredge could have more funding sources than currently exist. The marina association would no longer have to resort to drastic measure such as filling in a place like Rim Island 2 just because it is the cheapest alternative.
It should not be only about what’s cheap; it should also be about what’s pono for Kuapa.
Perhaps testing and possible low-energy input remediation of some of this dredge could be done, with the dredge returned to Maunalua land as a soil medium for agriculture and home owner uses — similar to how invasive limu was tested and found useful in composting. Then Maunalua could become responsible for at least part of its own dredge versus just hauling it to other areas on the island. Put some dredge back on the land and improve erosion-control measures.
Rim Island 2 presents an opportunity for a shift in thinking about how Kuapa Pond has been viewed, managed and used in recent decades since development. A balance must be struck by community, marina association and regulating agencies regarding the Maunalua pond.
It’s time for a change, and Rim Island 2 would be a great place to start.
Give this mokupuni li‘ili‘i a meaningful name and return the ae‘o and native birds to Kuapa.
