Maui Information Exchanges

The Holomua Marine Initiative hosted three Information Exchange Sessions on Maui from September 24-26, 2024. The Navigation Team, a community-nominated group of Maui residents, has been working on developing a draft management plan for the nearshore waters of Maui for the past year and a half with support from the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR). During these Information Exchange Sessions, the Navigation Team shared their management proposal for the first time to the public for input and feedback. The proposal included management actions that promote pono practices, align and expand restoration activities, strengthen monitoring, and continue to support place-based management planning.

About 110 Maui residents attended the sessions that were hosted in Hāna, Lahaina, and Kahului. The Information Exchanges provided the opportunity and space for Maui residents to share their manaʻo and discuss common concerns. Scroll down further below to read more about each session and to view photos from the events, or click HERE to read the summary notes compiled from Karey Kapoi LLC. The Navigation Team is now working on gathering all the feedback received during the sessions, and will continue working on revising the draft management plan to incorporate input collected.

Draft Maui Navigation Team management Recommendations (PDF)

Feedback for Maui Navigation Team’s Management Proposal

The proposal was first shared to the Maui community in late September 2024 during in-person Information Exchange Sessions, and the Maui Navigation Team provided an additional opportunity for feedback online through a Google form. The team is now reviewing all of the feedback received and considering revisions to the proposal. The revised proposal and a Maui management plan will be shared for additional feedback once the drafts are updated.

If you have additional feedback to share or questions on the draft proposal, you may also directly contact the Maui Navigation Team members below:

Maile Shannon: [email protected]
Darrell Tanaka: [email protected]
Brian Ventura: [email protected]

After Maui communities have had the opportunity to review the management recommendations and provide their input, the revised proposal and a Maui management plan will be shared through a statewide scoping session.

Hāna Information Exchange Session

Helene Hall, Hāna. Photo credit: Matthew Miguel

Fishers, cultural practitioners, and ocean users gathered at Helene Hall on September 24, 2024 to hear the Maui Navigation Team’s draft nearshore management recommendations. After the Navigation Team’s presentation, a collaborative forum for dialogue and conversation was opened where the community members in attendance could share their manaʻo and feedback.

Lahaina Information Exchange Session

Lahaina Intermediate School, Lahaina. Photo credit: Matthew Miguel

On September 25, 2024, DAR Holomua Marine Initiative hosted their second Information Exchange at Lahaina Intermediate School. They were joined by community members who fish for recreation, subsistence, and cultural purposes, as well as a few non-fishers with personal connections to Maui waters. After the Maui Navigation Team presented the draft management proposal, the floor was turned over to the community members in attendance so they could share their thoughts and feedback, helping to strengthen this unique, community-driven approach to nearshore marine resource management.

Kahului Information Exchange Session

Maui Waena Intermediate, Kahului. Photo credit: Matthew Miguel

On September 26, 2024, the Maui Navigation Team presented their draft management proposal in Kahului at Maui Waena Intermediate. They were joined by nearly 70 community members which included fishers, commercial tour operators, cultural practitioners, and other Maui ocean users. Following the presentation, attendees participated in meaningful discussions that allowed them to voice their concerns and ask the Navigation Team questions on the management proposal.

The Holomua Marine Initiative is designed to support communities that want to effectively manage their nearshore marine resources in collaboration with DAR and other partners. Part of this process is to empower voices across each moku on every island to identify management concerns and develop prioritized solutions. By engaging with community partners, government, and non-government groups, we can work together towards holistic, science-informed, community-led solutions.

Maui community members share more about themselves

Community members were asked to share with us about the various ways they fish and interact with the nearshore ocean during the Information Exchange Sessions. Below are photos of the results that were captured through posters used at the sessions.

Teach Us Boards

Mahalo nui!

The Maui Navigation Team would like to extend a heartfelt mahalo to everyone who attended the Information Exchanges and took time to share their perspectives and feedback. Next, based on the comments received during these sessions, the Navigation Team will further revise the proposal to reflect the priorities and needs of the Maui community.

Holomua Marine Initiative