ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2018 – 34
SUPPORTING THE TIMELY ADOPTION OF THE MO‘OMOMI COMMUNITY-BASED SUBSISTENCE FISHING AREA RULES TO PERPETUATE THE RESOURCES OF THE NORTHWEST COAST OF MOLOKA‘I FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
WHEREAS, the subsistence communities of Moloka‘i are recognized cultural kīpuka, or living repositories of Native Hawaiian cultural values, knowledge, and ways of life that have stood resiliently against the economic, political and social forces of Westernization in Hawai‘i; and
WHEREAS, such kīpuka are critical sources from which Native Hawaiian culture and ways of thinking can be preserved, regenerated and revitalized throughout Hawai‘i, for the benefit of Native Hawaiians and all others who call these islands home; and
WHEREAS, the survival and perpetuation of Moloka‘i’s kīpuka depend upon the continued abundance of subsistence resources, including nearshore resources, that provide for families’ daily needs, and that inform the deep attachment to the ‘āina underlying Native Hawaiian cultural values, practices, well-being and identity; and
WHEREAS, the values of aloha ‘āina and mālama ‘āina, along with multi-generational knowledge of and daily familiarity with their islands’ resources, have allowed the subsistence communities of Moloka‘i to generally maintain a unique state of abundance in their nearshore waters; and
WHEREAS, the nearshore resources of Mo‘omomi and the Northwest Coast of Moloka‘i are particularly important for the subsistence communities of Pālā‘au moku and surrounding regions; and
WHEREAS, over the past two decades lawai‘a pono from the Northwest Coast of Moloka‘i have witnessed concerning declines in certain subsistence resources including highly desirable species such as kūmū and ula; and
WHEREAS, lawai‘a pono have also witnessed ongoing acts of inappropriate harvesting off the Northwest Coast of Moloka‘i and in other waters surrounding the island, by commercial fishers, canoe race support boats, off-island visitors, and others without a sense of attachment and kuleana to place; and
WHEREAS, as human populations increase on Moloka‘i and surrounding islands, the fishing pressure on Moloka‘i’s nearshore subsistence resources will likely increase; and
WHEREAS, there is a lack of formal rules to guide the fishing practices of those without a deep knowledge of and commitment to the subsistence resources of the Northwest Coast of Moloka‘i, who may choose to fish in this important subsistence fishery; and
WHEREAS, to ensure the perpetuation of abundant resources for both present and future generations, lawai‘a pono of Mo‘omomi and surrounding areas have developed a rule proposal to guide the harvesting practices of all who come to fish in the waters of Northwest Moloka‘i from ‘Īlio Point to the Kalaupapa Peninsula; and
WHEREAS, the “Mo‘omomi Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area” rule proposal was developed over two decades of observation, analysis, discussion, and consensus-building among residents of Moloka‘i, and is informed by generations of intimate and daily familiarity with the resources of Mo‘omomi and its surrounding waters; and
WHEREAS, between 2013-2016, the Hui Mālama o Mo‘omomi held 3 member meetings, conducted 14 public outreach efforts, held 2 meetings with area landowners, implemented 3 major learning and exchange programs, produced 9 media and publication items in 4 different sources, surveyed 60 Pālā‘au moku households, and conducted multiple face-to-face outreach efforts to engage Moloka‘i residents, keiki, and the general public on its efforts including the Mo‘omomi rule proposal; and
WHEREAS, in March and April of 2017, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Resources held four public scoping and engagement meetings on Moloka‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu for the Mo‘omomi rule proposal, and in November and December facilitated a site visit and held additional listening sessions with concerned fishers from O‘ahu and Moloka‘i; and
WHEREAS, in April 2018, with the vast majority of numerous submitted testimonies in support, the State of Hawai‘i Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Small Business Regulatory Review Board voted unanimously to approve formal rulemaking hearings on the Mo‘omomi CBSFA rules for further public review and comment; and
WHEREAS, longstanding vehicular access disputes between certain fishers and landowners are important issues to discuss and address, but are separate and apart from the adoption of rules protecting Moloka‘i’s nearshore subsistence resources from irresponsible fishing by foreigners and others, which only seek to ensure continued abundance for present and future generations and to perpetuate the kipuka communities of Moloka‘i; and
WHEREAS, the Ho‘olehua Hawaiian Civic Club submitted this resolution to the Maui Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs which gathered at its first Council Convention in Kahului, Maui in the malama of Hilinaehu on the rising of Kāloakūkahi on the 3rd day of September, 2018, and the council then submitted it as part of its package of adopted resolutions.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 59th Annual Convention in Kalapaki, Kauaʻi, in the malama of Welehu and the rising of ʻOlepau, this 17th day of November 2018, supporting the timely adoption of the Mo‘omomi Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area rules to perpetuate the resources of the Northwest Coast of Moloka‘i for present and future generations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Administration of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are urged to facilitate the timely adoption of the Mo‘omomi rules; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, President of the State Senate, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, Chair of the State Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the State House Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and all county mayors.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted in the malama of Welehu and the rising of ‘Olepau on the 17th day of November 2018, at the 59th Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs in Kalapaki, Kaua‘i.
Annelle C. Amaral, President
