fishpond basics

Today, fish are raised and harvested from fabricated fish pens and off-shore enclosures. In ancient Hawai‘i, Hawaiians used a similar method to ensure that fish would be available for the community. Loko i‘a, or fishponds, were used by ancient Hawaiians for food, trade and were symbols of wealth.

Fishponds, found in the sea and some on land, were considered part of the land. Ali‘i (chiefs) who ruled the land were considered wealthy if they had many loko i‘a under their jurisdiction. You see, in order to build a loko i‘a, a large work force was needed. In fact, over 10,000 people were needed to reconstruct Kō‘ie‘ie Fishpond several hundred years ago!

The idea of fishponds are simple. The loko kuapā was made of a kuapā (rock wall) and a mākāhā (sluice gate). The kuapā was built higher than the highest tides of the year. Its rocks were strategically placed so that each rock interlocked with the other. To ensure stability, smaller rocks and pebbles were wedged in gaps. 

The outer wall faced the ocean. Hawaiians were ingenious in designing it with a slight slope and not at a 90 degree angle. This slope allowed wave energy to dissipate as it hit the wall and therefore, created less of an impact.

The mākāhā were traditionally made of ‘ōhi‘a or other strong woods. The pieces of wood were lashed together with vertical spaces. When Hawaiians engineered these gates, the gates were stationary. In the early 1900’s, the Chinese modified the design which contained two gates that were movable. This allowed fish to be caught between the gates and improved the catch.

In the early Hawaiian design, the spaces allowed small fish to swim freely in and out of the pond and retained large fish within the pond.

Occasionally, fishponds needed to be maintained. Rocks would be replaced if they had fallen. Algae would be removed if they accumulated. Predatory fish would be fished if they caused a threat to the pond.

Fishponds are masterpieces of Hawaiian engineers. They were a means of bringing the community together and a display of remarkable leadership by the ali‘i (chiefs). In the uplands, the maka‘āinana (commoners) would benefit from the pond’s bounty. Here, the loko i‘a kalo and loko wai, were refrigerators for fish such as ‘o’opu (gobies) and aholehole (Hawaiian flagtail). Towards the ocean, many fishponds were reserved for the ali‘i. People were forbidden to retrieve fish from loko kuapā, such Kō‘ie‘ie. The fish were used for subsistence, ceremonial purposes, and managed carefully to ensure that the resources were not abused.

“The importance of fishponds in Hawai‘i prior to European contact is illustrated by their numbers and distribution. In 1778, when Captain Cook arrived, about 360 fishponds were identified. In 1990, DHM Planners, Inc., conducted a thorough survey of fishponds and fishtraps in the six major islands and concluded the number to be 488, some distinguished only by remnants of the walls and sluice gates. The large number of ponds and traps on O‘ahu (718) and Hawai‘i (138) reflects the large human populations and the suitability of the landscape with its streams, estuaries, broad plains, and flat coastal reefs for the construction of fishponds. The numbers of fishponds and fishtraps on the other islands were as follows: Moloka‘i (74), Kaua‘i (50), Maui (44), and Lāna‘i (4) with the one pond on Ni‘ihau not included.”

 DHM Planners Inc., Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Applied Research Group, Public Archaeology Section. Hawaiian Fishpond Study: Islands of O‘ahu, Moloka‘i and Hawai‘i. Honolulu: DHM Planners, 1989.