This month our team worked in the loko iʻa (fishpond) to upgrade our mākāhā (sluice gate). How do mākāhā work? The mākāhā is a gate situated within the rock wall enclosure. It has thin openings so smaller fish can come in to eat. As the fish eat and grow they become too big to exit through the same mākāhā, keeping them in the loko for us to catch and eat. Kalaniua Ritte, our ED and master fishpond practitioner, has spent decades refiguring mākāhā at Keawanui to better control fish populations in the pond. Keawanui loko iʻa is large, totalling at 55 acres.
Maintaining and caring for this precious resource comes with a very specific skill set and lots of hard work dedication. It also requires keen observation of the environment around us. As the fish evolve, we must also evolve and be prepared for anything!
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