About

The objective of the Spawning Guide for the Leeward Coast of Hawai‘i Island is to educate the public about fish spawning and life cycles using a combination of western and traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge. The goal is to influence public fishing habits to curtail overharvesting and prevent further population declines in key species in West Hawai‘i. The information on this Web site will teach youth, community members and visitors how to fish more responsibly and thus conserve and protect Hawai‘i’s ocean resources.

The downloadable guide provides a basic understanding of the lifecycle parameters of 23 species of fish and revives community knowledge of traditional fishing practices that sustained Native Hawaiians for generations. By empowering the fishing community and consumers through education about Native Hawaiian and Western management strategies, they will become their own enforcers.

Fishermen and families who fish for themselves are encouraged to self-regulate their catches, while the general public and businesses are urged to decrease their demand for certain fish during peak spawning periods.

Sponsored by:
West Hawai‘i Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2012 Marine Education & Training Mini Grant, and The Kohala Center.

Contributing Sources:
William Walsh, Ph.D., Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources
Robert L. Humphreys, Jr., National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
David Itano, Pelagic Fisheries Research Program, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Les Gallagher, Fishpics® & imagDOP, University of the Azores
Donald R. Kobayashi, Ph.D., Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NOAA/National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Christopher E. Bird, Ph.D., Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
http://www.fishbase.org
Doug Sell, Photographer

The Kohala Center is an equal opportunity provider and employer.