For centuries, the early Hawaiians lived by a simple rule: take only what you need from the sea. Areas were sometimes declared "kapu," off limits to fishing for periods of time to allow fish populations to grow. The rule worked. There were lots of fish. But that's not the case anymore.

Modern man has become brutally efficient at harvesting the ocean. Sonar and other space age fishing equipment help us to detect and hunt down even small schools of fish.

If we don't stop taking too many fish out of the ocean, there won't be many left for our kids. Fish populations could become depleted to the point where they may never recover.

Marine Life Conservation Districts (MLCDs) have been established throughout the State to provide safe haven for these marine creatures. Fishery Management Areas (FMAs) are closed to fishing for up to a year to protect the marine life the way the old kapu did. Unfortunately, these protected areas are far to few to make up for the thousands of fish taken from the sea every day.

So take only what you need, and let the rest go and help to protect Hawai`i's resources for future generations.

Keep Hawai`i Wild... It's your heritage, too.

Click on the magnifying glass to learn more about the effects of overfishing in Hawai`i.

More about Hawai`i's aquatic resources
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