Mission
To develop and revitalize a culture of pono fishing in Hawaiʻi, transform community connections to their ‘āina (land) & kai (ocean), increase community capacity for marine resource management and improve local seafood security by engaging fishing families and their communities.
Objectives
Support hands-on learning experiences to build community understanding of ocean resources, land-sea connections, ecosystem function and increase community-level support, familial relationships between kanaka (people) to the ocean and its resources.
Transfer traditional ecological knowledge and ecosystem-based management practices between generations to help develop the next generation of pono fishers using sustainable fishing practices, culture, values, and traditions.
Improved local decision-making capacity for ecosystem-based community marine resource stewardship and increased voluntary compliance with existing marine policies.
Reduced degradation of fish habitat and an increase in target fish species biomass resulting in improved recreational and subsistence near-shore fishing.