Walk around the He'eia fishpond. (Apologies for the excessive shake) Hawaiian fishponds are unique and advanced forms of aquaculture found nowhere else in the world. The techniques of herding or trapping adult fish with rocks in shallow tidal areas is found elsewhere but the six styles of Hawaiian fishponds, especially large walled ponds, were technologically advanced and efficient as their purpose was to cultivate pua, baby fish, to maturity. Their invention was a result of the Hawaiians deep understanding of the environmental processes specific to our islands as well as their connection and observation of the food resources on the `āina and in the kai. Ocean fishing is dependent, to a great extent, upon conditions of the ocean and weather. High surf, storms, and other associated weather phenomenon influence and interrupt most fishing practices. Therefore, fishponds provided Hawaiians with a regular supply of fish when ocean fishing was not possible or did not yield sufficient supply (Kelly, 1976). Located in He’eia Uli on the island of Oahu, He’eia Fishpond is a walled (kuapā) style fishpond enclosing 88 acres of brackish water. The kuapā is built on the Malauka`a fringing reef that extends from the shoreline surrounding the pond out into Kāne`ohe Bay. Built approximately 600-800 years ago by the residents of the area, the kuapā is possibly the longest in the island chain measuring about 1.3 miles (7,000 feet) long and forms a complete circle around the pond. This is unique as most other fishpond walls are either straight lines or half circles connecting one point of shoreline to another. Not only is the kuapā of He’eia Fishpond extremely long, it is 12 – 15 feet wide and “compact”. The wall is composed of two separate volcanic rock walls parallel to one another on the outer edges and the ~8 foot area between them is filled up with mostly coral and in some places rock and dirt. This compact style of wall slows water flow, allows the pond to maintain a base water level even at the lowest tides, and forces more water to the mākāhā or sluice gates. He’eia Fishpond has six mākāhā – three along the seaward edge that regulate salt water input and three along He`eia stream that regulate fresh water input. By allowing both fresh and salt water to enter the pond, the pond environment is brackish and therefore conducive to certain types of limu. By cultivating limu, much like a rancher grows grass, the kia’i (guardian/caretaker) could easily raise herbivorous fish and not have to feed them. Fish that live in He`eia Fishpond include ‘ama’ama, awa, pualu, palani, aholehole, moi, kokala, kākū, and papio. The fishpond is also home to different species of papa’i, ‘ōpae, puhi, and pipi. It is unknown who commissioned He’eia Fishpond to be built but it likely required hundreds, if not thousands, of committed residents to pass and stack rocks and coral for approximately 2-3 years to complete the massive wall. The first recorded owner of the pond is High Chief Abner Paki who was the konohiki of the ahupua`a of He`eia. He received all the lands of He’eia at the time of the Great Māhele of 1848. His wife was High Chiefess Laura Konia and after their passing their daughter, Princess Bernice Pauahi, received the lands of He’eia. Princess Pauahi married Charles Reed Bishop who, after her passing, managed her lands in the Bishop Estate. Today the fishpond is still owned by Kamehameha School, formerly Bishop Estate.

• published: 03 Oct 2014
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