Posted on: Monday, October 4, 2004

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Staff Writer

It started with some stories about fishing in Kona in the old days, when Hawaiians regularly fed the 'opelu off Papawai near the old airport, then harvested them later for food or bait.

Those stories, told by a caretaker at Papawai to teenagers camping on the beach in the summer of 2002, had a sad ending with an unexpected sequel.

The caretaker told the 27 students from the Na Pua No'eau enrichment program for Native Hawaiians that traditional fishermen no longer use those fishing grounds. Instead, moorings for snorkeling tour boats have been installed.

Some students were upset, and with encouragement from Na Pua No'eau their concerns led to creation of a research project, 'Ike Pono, that delved into the impact of the moorings off Papawai.

The project led to student testimony last month at Office of Hawaiian Affairs hearings on ocean and coastal issues. No one knows where the story will end, but the students promise they aren't finished.

Amberlyn Ieremia, a junior at Kahuku High School, believes the moorings should be moved to allow traditional fishing to resume.

"People don't know what's going on," she said. "It's like they don't care anymore about where they live. It just made me really aware of the ocean and the effect we have on it."

Although a number of students were unhappy with the tour operators, this did not turn out to be a simple case of good guys vs. bad guys.

Jack's Diving Locker of Kona took the students on a day trip to Papawai for another perspective. The tour operators explained that the moorings protect the reef by providing a place for the boats to tie up. Otherwise, they have to drop their anchors directly on the reef.

Program coordinator Toni Mallow said Na Pua No'eau seized on the students' interest in Papawai as an opportunity to teach and motivate.

"Part of the purpose was to raise the kids' consciousness about issues — Hawaiian issues — to make a difference," Mallow said. "We wanted them to kind of take responsibility for what was happening environmentally in Hawai'i."

It turns out Papawai was just the beginning. Using the project as a model, Na Pua No'eau developed the Pathways Project, which guides Hawaiian students to environmental issues close to home. A project proposed for Lana'i would focus on the health of that island's reefs. Research planned for Kaua'i would study water quality at Anahola Stream.

Pathways is funded by a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and plans to enroll 50 new eighth-grade students each year.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, write Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766, e-mail jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or call (808) 245-3074.