Kaloko'eli Fishpond

Early Aquaculture

Description

As a tiny island surrounded by a big ocean, Moloka'i has long depended on aquaculture as a source of food and a way of life. Kaloko'eli Fishpond is a fine example of many similar ponds, most of which are 700 to 800 years old, fringing the island's southern shore. The ponds utilize gates, or "makaha," which allow seawater and little fish in, keeping the big predators out. Over time, the little fish grow too large to escape the gate's narrow opening and swim back out to sea. In the past, there have been more than 60 of these ponds operating along the Moloka'i coast at one time.