KUA AINA ULU AUAMO

PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPORT, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, FACILIATION AND CAPACITY-BUILDING FOR COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT HAWAII.IN 2023, AFTER MUCH OF THE PRIOR COVID RESTRICTIONS WERE LIFTED KUA BEGAN TO ASSEMBLE LARGE NETWORK GATHERINGS AGAIN. HOWEVER, THE KUA TEAM CONTINUED TO WORK MOSTLY FROM HOME. NETWORK MEMBER SUCCESSFUL ONLINE PIVOTS CONTINUED TO ALLOW FOR MORE NON-PHYSICAL NECESSARY CONVERSATIONS AND MEETINGS.KUA CONTINUES TO SERVE THREE NETWORKS 1) E ALU PU (EAP) - MALAMA 'AINA OR COMMUNITY-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FROM RIDGE TO REEF 2) HUI MALAMA LOKO I'A (HMLI) - HAWAIIAN FISHPOND CARETAKERS3) THE LIMU HUI (LH) - NATIVE SEAWEED GATHERERS, PRACTITIONERS, AND CULTIVATORS. EACH NETWORK NESTS GENERATIVE FOCUS GROUPS SUCH AS THE LAWAI'A PONO HUI (LPH) - THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY FISHERY MANAGEMENT - AND THE HATCHERY HUI - THAT SUPPORTS PROGRESS IN RESTORATIVE AQUACULTURE.IN 2023 - AS PANDEMIC PROTOCOLS RELAXED KUA ENTERED THE YEAR DETERMINED TO HOLD LARGE KUA NETWORK GATHERINGS IN-PERSON. WE ALSO CONTINUED TO BUILD ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALLER CONTINGENTS TO GATHER AS WELL AS SMALL SCALE EXCHANGES AMONGST OUR ISLAND-WIDE NETWORKS ON INVASIVE FISH, SPAWNING RESEARCH, PERPETUATION INDIGENOUS FISHING PRACTICES AND AN INDIGENOUS AQUACULTURE EXCHANGE.THE ROLE OF THESE NETWORKS IS TO SUSTAIN MOMENTUM AND REMAIN ACTIVE IN THEIR ALLIANCE TO MALAMA AINA. MANY MALAMA AINA EFFORTS OCCURRED OVER THE PAST YEAR, SOME THAT FOCUSED ON SHORT TERM GOALS SUCH AS EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON LIMU, BUILDING ON LIMU SURVEY EFFORTS, GUBERNATORIAL AND POLICY TALK STORIES OR LEARNING MORE ABOUT MOI SPAWNING. OTHER EVENTS WERE A CULMINATION OF YEARS OF EFFORT, LIKE THE COLLECTIVE SUPPORT OF KIPAHULU COMMUNITY-BASED SUBSISTENCE FISHING AREA (CBSFA) PROCESS.