Aloha i ke Kai

Aloha i ke Kai, the Hawai‘i Ocean Stewardship Fee Program seeks to revitalize Hawai‘i’s coasts and oceans. It builds relationship between ocean use and ocean stewardship; It connects ocean experiences with action that cultivates ocean abundance. 

United in love for our ocean, the Aloha i ke Kai program creates an unprecedented opportunity to catalyze long term funding commitment to support local stewardship and conservation practices for restoring shoreline and ocean ecosystem health. It builds the interdependence and pilina between the visitor economy, the local economy, and local ecology. The program recognizes the need to generate funding to manage, protect, and enhance our ecosystems because of, and through, the sharing of our ocean’s gifts with Hawai‘i’s visitors. 

Ocean Recreation Impacts Ocean Health 

The cumulative impact of human activity (including accompanying vessels and craft) in the water damage coral reefs, affect water quality, ocean animals, and coastal health. Not surprisingly, impact worsens with frequent, high-intensity use. A study on Hawai‘i’s coastal tourism by Lin et al. highlighted that areas with better coral cover and water quality attract more visitors, increasing stress on these ecosystems. Consequently, the accessibility of these desirable and beautiful marine environments make them more susceptible to degradation from continuous heavy usage.