Nonprofit is new owner of Kauai’s last Hawaiian fishpond
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The Alakoko Fishpond, also known as the Menehune Fishpond, is a 102-acre fishpond that dates back 600 years.
A Kauai nonprofit now owns the island’s last remaining Hawaiian fishpond thanks to a private donation and the Trust for Public Land.
The 102-acre Alakoko Fishpond dates back 600 years. Its owners put the property on the market for $3 million, Hawaii Public Radio reported.
The new owner is Mālama Hulēʻia, a nonprofit that has been restoring the fishpond for the last four years.
The Trust for Public Land fundraised and secured a donation from Chan Zuckerberg Kauai Community Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation.
The trust then bought the property and conveyed it to Mālama Hulē’ia. The deed ensures the fishpond will be used for conservation and Native Hawaiian education, aquaculture, and stewardship.
The trust didn’t say how much it paid for the property. A trust representative didn’t immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press today.
Sara Bowen, Mālama Hulēʻia’s leader, said the top priority is repairing the fishpond’s 2,700 feet-long wall with the ultimate goal of having Alakoko once again be a source of healthy local food.
The fishpond is also known as the Menehune Fishpond.
