Holomua Marine Initiative Launches on Hawai‘i Island in May with series of Talk Story sessions to gather community input

Hawai‘i Island residents are invited to attend one of seven Talk Story sessions in May where the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) will be seeking community input on how best to manage the island’s nearshore marine resources.   

The Holomua Marine Initiative brings together community voices, local knowledge, science and resource managers to help shape effective nearshore marine management. Building on lessons learned from the Maui pilot, the Holomua Marine Initiative is expanding to Hawaiʻi Island to collaboratively develop management actions grounded in community priorities, cultural practices, and lived experience.  

 Talk Story sessions are scheduled across Hawai‘i Island from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.): 

  • May 5, 2026: Kapa‘au at Kohala Intergenerational Center 
  • May 6, 2026: Pa‘auilo at Pa‘auilo Park Gymnasium Annex 
  • May 12, 2026: Hilo at Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Lūʻau Hale 
  • May 14, 2026: Pāhoa at Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility 
  • May 19, 2026: Nāʻālehu at Nāʻālehu Community Center 
  • May 20, 2026: Captain Cook at Yano Hall 
  • May 21, 2026: Kailua-Kona at Hawai‘i Big Game Fishing Club 

 
To attend one of the upcoming meetings, interested persons are asked to RSVP at: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/rsvp-for-holomua-talk-story/. 

Through this initiative, a community-nominated Island Navigation Team comprised of local residents will work with DAR to draft an island-based management proposal that supports sustainable harvesting and healthy reefs. Input on the team’s formation, along with community priorities and shared visions, will be gathered during the Talk Story sessions. 

 To learn more about Holomua, please visit the website at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/holomua/