Ala Moana Beach Fishery Management Area Draft Management Plan

Division of Aquatic Resources January 15, 2021 Place names and history Ala Moana beach is located on Oʿahu’s south shore in the ahupuaʿa of Waikīkī and the moku of Kona. Though it is now well known by this name, the traditional name of the area is Kālia. Kupuna recall the swamp land and fishponds that previously resided there as well as the long lineages of mahiʿai (farmers) and lawaiʿa (fishermen) ‘ohana that stewarded the area. Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa describes the historical image of Kālia as home to koloa (ducks), manu (birds), numerous fish, and neighboring kalo (taro) patches1.

By the early 1900’s, the compounding effects of consequential events caused the ecologically rich environment of Kālia to shift. The area took a downturn as the wetland portion became overgrown with invasive plants such as bulrushes and kiawe trees and the city began using it as a dumping ground. A boat channel 20-30 feet deep and 1,000 yards long was dredged through the coral reef to join two popular boat harbors, Kewalo Basin and Ala Wai Boat Harbor.

The City and County of Honolulu were granted the site on the condition that the property “be used wholly as a public park”. In 1931, the City and County Board of Parks and Recreation acknowledged the benefits this area could provide to recreational users and designated the area as “Moana Park” which initiated filling of the swamp land and development of other recreational facilities.2 The park opened to the public in 1934 and the name was later changed to Ala Moana meaning “Path to the sea”. In 1955, each end of the boat channel was filled to create what is now known as Kewalo Basin Park and Magic Island. Magic Island was the start of a resort hotel project intended to cover thirty acres of shallow reef but was unexpectedly halted. The man-made peninsula was renamed ʿāina moana or “land from the sea” to acknowledge how it was made from dredged coral fill.3

The area is now a popular site frequented by many residents and visitors. The easy access to wide varieties of recreational uses by beach goers, swimmers, snorkelers, and surfers create high traffic in the beach area. The addition of facilities in the park such as volleyball courts, tennis courts, concession stands, and picnic tables make it appealing to all types of visitors.

Though this area underwent many changes, kupuna ask that the fishing ground of the past and the stories of this place are kept alive.

1 https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/11840199/the-history-behind-ala-moana/

2 https://historichawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/HHF_Ala-Moana-Park-History-Walk_Lei-of- Parks_090118-1.pdf

3 http://hawaiibeachsafety.com/oahu/ala-moana-beach Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021 Current uses Ala Moana is a popular park in Oʿahu with roughly 76 acres accommodating to beach goers, surfers, swimmers, tennis players, picnickers, fishers, joggers, and many more. The long stretch of beach and shallow sandy areas are ideal for families and visitors. Swimmers and stand-up paddleboarders will go back and forth in the dredged channel because it is sheltered from wave action by the shallow reef and deep enough to not worry about being injured from hitting the bottom. Schools of fish in the dredged channel and across the reef attract fishers. Popular surf sites located offshore and easy access to the surf breaks invite surfers. Crowding in these areas typically increases during the summer months when ocean users take advantage of the optimal weather conditions: the volume of visitors increase, local residents take vacation time with their families while school is not in session, fishers make the most of the optimal weather, and the summer swell draws crowds of surfers.

The picture below demonstrates the sites where fishing occurs throughout the park with blue fish and hook icons. However, fishing at theses sites occurs at different scales. Most fishers are dunking, whipping, and fly-fishing on the jetties of the Magic Island side (peninsula on the eastern-side) of the park or on the shallow reef inside the surfbreaks for papio, oʻio, mū and barracuda where swimmers are not present. However, schools of oama, halalu, akule, and sardines may wander into the dredged channel or towards the side nearest the Ala Wai Harbor. When this occurs, fishers will congregate in the sites near the swim channel and some will walk onto the reef flat to look for tako.

Figure 1: The following demonstrates activity observed and conducted by Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) staff. The blue fish and hook icons represent places where fishing occurs, the yellow pins are currently survey sites monitored by DAR staff, and the green and white pins are old survey sites no longer monitored. The peninsula extending into the water on the right is popularly known as Magic Island.

2 Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021 Area of Consideration The proposed area will cover the same boundaries outlined in administrative rules of the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) §13-244-34, delineating Ala Moana Beach Park Ocean Waters as an Ocean Recreation Management Area (ORMA). The area encompasses 0.0566 square miles and extends across 0.876 miles of coastline.

Boundaries are described as follows and outlined in Figure 2:

(1) Beginning at a point on the Ewa side of Magic Island Park where the rock revetment joins the beach (21.285999, -157.847258); (2) Along the mean high water mark of Ala Moana Beach to the Diamond Head boundary of Kewalo Basin (21.291285, -157.855535); (3) Along the edge of the reef line shown to a point opposite the point of beginning (21.290496, -157.856023); and (4) In a Diamond Head direction to and ending at the point of beginning (21.286163, -157.847685).

Figure 2: Boundaries outlined in yellow delineate the Ala Moana Beach Park Ocean Waters as defined in HAR §13-244-24 for an Ocean Recreation Management Area (ORMA) instituted by DOBOR. The proposed fishery management area would share the same boundaries. Nearshore Geography and habitat The proposed management area includes a variety of habitat types. The beach reaches along the coastline across the entire beach park. From shore, sandy and rocky bottoms extend into a dredged channel parallel to the coastline followed by a reef flat. Beyond the reef flat are multiple surf breaks. DAR monitoring staff identify habitat zones in the area to include a reef flat, back reef, reef crest, fore reef, and reef slope in addition to habitat characterizations such as pavement with sand channels and

3 Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021 ledges, spur & groove, shallow and deep aggregate reef, patch reefs, rock boulders, rock rubble, and artificial structures.

Fish species such as ʻoama (juvenile yellowstripe goatfish, Mulloidichthys flavolineatus, and juvenile yellowfin goatfish, Mulloidichthys vanicolensis), halalu (juvenile bigeye scad), akule (bigeye scad, Selar crumenophthalmus), nehu (Hawaiian anchovy, Encrasicolina purpurea), ʻIao (Hawaiian silverside, Atherinomorus insularum) and sardines (Hawaiian surf sardine, Iso hawaiiensis) school in the dredged channel or near the Ala Wai side of the park. Other fish species such as papio (young ulua; an encompassing term for the jack and trevallies family including white ulua (giant trevally, Caranx ignobilis), omilu (bluefin trevally, Caranx melampygus) , paʻopaʻo (golden trevally, Gnathanodon speciosus), and Papa (island jack, Carangoides orthogrammus)), oʻio (bonefish, Albula vulpes), mū (bigeye emperors, Monotaxis grandoculis), and kaku (great barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda) are typically found outside of the dredged channel near the reef and rocky areas. Smaller reef fish and invertebrates such as sea urchins and octopuses occupy the shallow reef flat.

Current status, monitoring activities, and needed monitoring activities Monitoring activities in the area include water quality testing by the Department of Health in the beach park. There are two UH buoys outside the Ala Wai and Kewalo that collect water quality data. Pacific Island Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS https://www.pacioos.hawaii.edu/projects/coral/) collects water quality data for the area. The area is subject to high fluctuations in water quality with rain and extreme weather due to its proximity to coastal developments.

DAR conducts coral bleaching surveys at the deeper sites of (OSAA, OSA1, and OSAC) in the Figure 1, but has not done the shallower snorkel-depth sites enough to determine if there is coral bleaching there additionally. The Hawaii Marine Recreational Fishing Survey (HMRFS) collects data from fishers on the Magic Island side of Ala Moana, but does not within the beach park.

To monitor the effectiveness of this fishery management area, monitoring activities would include social surveys to determine the benefits to users of the area, creel surveys to determine differences in fish species and catch, and activities and use surveys to see how use of the area has changed with implementation of the rule. Collection of this information will assist DAR in reviewing the effectiveness of management measures, and making amendments accordingly.

Current regulations The area is currently designated as an Ocean Recreation Management Area by DOBOR. HAR §13-244-34 provides that “no person shall operate or moor a vessel in the Ala Moana Beach Park ocean waters except manually-propelled outrigger canoes may be operated in the canoe practice area.” The canoe practice area is confined by boundaries as shown on Figure 2, above, as the dotted purple area. This rule does not apply in the case of emergency or to patrol or rescue craft.

The area falls within a larger Lay Net Fishing Prohibited Area established by the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) that extends along the south shore of Oahu from Kawaihoa Point to Keahi Point from the shoreline out to three nautical miles.4

4 HAR 13-75-12.4(f)

4 Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021

Ala Moana Beach Park is managed by the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation. It is open to the public during the day and closed between the hours of 10:00 pm and 4:00 am. Threats and concerns in nearshore environment and resource users Ala Moanaʻs proximity to the populated and developed major city of Honolulu facilitates threats to the nearshore environment include physical damage to the reefs, overuse and crowding, land-based pollutants, coastal development, erosion, and sedimentation. Major alterations of the Ala Moana area occured in the past causing habitat loss, impaired ecosystem function, and reduction in nearshore species. The area is also susceptible to global threats such as warming ocean temperatures causing coral bleaching, sea level rise, and ocean acidification.

Currently, the most immediate issue that can be addressed by DAR is the user conflict that occurs in the area. During the months of April through August 2020, fishing activity at Ala Moana Beach increased significantly. With reduced crowds at Ala Moana Beach Park, seasonal schools of oama, halalu, akule, and other baitfish formed in the sandy areas just off the beach. The increased amount of fish in these areas coupled with the increased fishing effort statewide during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a higher number of fishers in the sandy areas of Ala Moana beach. This increased user conflicts between fishers and swimmers who frequently use the dredged channel.

Swimmers who frequently used the waters at Ala Moana Beach complained about the presence of fishers, whom they said obstructed access to the water and in some cases allegedly exhibited hostile behavior toward the swimmers. There were also complaints of discarded/lost fishing line and hooks in the water and on the beach, that posed entanglement and hooking hazards to swimmers and marine life. Most of the concern centered on fishers casting lines by rod and reel. There is at present no rule or other mechanism that would address these safety concerns.

Other Considerations The ocean has long been a source of subsistence and recreation for the residents of Hawaii. In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, State and local governments have enacted regulations to promote public health. As a result, the ocean remained one of the few areas accessible to the public for recreation as well as remaining a valuable source of food for a significant portion of the population. The regulations increased pressure on an already limited resource, leading to an increase in conflicts between ocean users. The conflicts were particularly acute on the South Shore of Oahu the population center of the State. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) received many reports of user conflict throughout the South Shore. The conflicts seemed most intense and frequent at the beaches in Ala Moana, the Kuhio Groin, and Kaimana.

DLNR has been in consultation and held meetings with many ocean users regarding this issue. A concern among the fishing community is that the solution to these conflicts is often to restrict fishing access and once access is restricted, it is never restored. Regulations are currently in place throughout the South Shore. The Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline FMA (approximately 1,996 yards of shoreline) including Kaimana Beach is closed to fishing during odd-numbered years. The Waikiki Ocean Waters: Zone E (Kuhio groin area, approximately 231 yards of shoreline) of Waikiki is designated as a swimming,

5 Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021 bathing, and wading zone, where fishing is prohibited. The Waikiki MLCD also prohibits fishing (approximately 943 yards of shoreline) (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Map of the South Shore of Oahu highlighting some areas with regulations pertaining to swimming and fishing intended to reduce user conflicts.

Ala Moana Beach Park is a unique resource to the State and Metro Honolulu in particular. Ala Moana contains a 1,000-meter-long dredged channel that is protected from waves and close to shore, making it an ideal area for swimmers of all abilities. This is particularly unique in that it is the only place on the South Shore of Oahu where swimmers have a straight length in protected waters for lap swimming. Additionally, the channel is adjacent to a large public park with ample public parking and easy beach access for families and the elderly. Ala Moana even contains a wheelchair-accessible path to the beach.

DLNR, therefore, proposes to designate a large portion of Ala Moana, as illustrated on the map, as a Fishery Management Area where casting is prohibited. DLNR has no intention of adding fishing restrictions to Kaimana or anywhere else in Waikiki at this time. In fact, DLNR has an obligation to allow the public to make reasonable use of the State’s resources for current and future generations. The proposed rules would likely make Ala Moana Beach Park a more favorable swimming location than many of the other areas more heavily utilized by fishers, creating more ideal areas for both user groups.

During the scoping process, several other alternatives were proposed by the public to address this user conflict. A few people expressed concern that this was not a regular occurrence (likely the result of fewer people frequenting the area due to the pandemic), so an official rule was not necessary. Others

6 Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021 suggested that since schooling fish are seasonal, a rule should only be applied during certain times of the year. Alternatives considered include:

1. A “live aloha” solution where fishers and swimmers would be encouraged to act with courtesy toward other users without any regulations being implemented. This could include deploying buoys and posting signs when fish are schooling to notify users and remind them to yield to each other. This option is not included in the current proposal due to the following reasons: a. At this time, the issue is a matter of human safety, so it was deemed that an official rule was necessary to mitigate the user conflict and future potential injury in a transparent and equitable way. b. As fish are extremely mobile and the schools do not stay in one place, it would be difficult to demarcate a single zone within Ala Moana with buoys or markers to identify areas where the swimmers would not be in the path of fishers casting into the school. 2. A seasonal rule that only applies when the schooling behavior occurs. This option is not included in the current proposal due to the following reasons: a. It is difficult to objectively identify and quantify when “schooling” would constitute a change of use for the area and clearly communicate that to all ocean users. b. There is a legal requirement to give prior notice when access to public areas changes. This creates logistical challenges in how notice would be provided and how to assure that it was posted in a timely and informative manner to any potential ocean users for this area. c. The latest research suggests that schooling behavior in this region of O‘ahu occurs year- round, though it peaks during May-July (Wiley, Sabatar and Langseth 2021). d. With changing ocean conditions due to global climate change, peak seasonality can shift from year to year and over time. Given the potential schooling throughout the year and the potential for seasonal shifts, it would be difficult to define an adequate season that would fully prevent swimmers from being injured due to casting (specifically with the hooks and weights).

Proposed actions DAR proposes to adopt a new rule under HAR Title 13, Subtitle 4, Part II, to establish a Fishery Management Area (FMA) encompassing the Ala Moana Beach swim channel. The boundary of the FMA would be the same as the boundary of the DOBOR Ala Moana Beach Park Ocean Waters (HAR §13-244- 34). Figure 2, above, delineates the boundary.

The purpose of establishing this FMA is to reduce user conflicts and safety hazards by designating fishing and non-fishing zones within the Ala Moana Beach FMA. The following proposed rule provisions were developed based on initial stakeholder feedback at stakeholder engagement meetings. These proposed rules are presented for discussion purposes only, and are subject to change.

The new rules would establish a designated “no casting” zone (approximately 1081 yards of shoreline) where fishing with hook-and-line, except by hand pole, would be prohibited. Designated fishing zones at either end of the proposed FMA would not have gear regulations proposed (Figure 4). The designated fishing zones include the area where fishers congregate on the western side of the channel towards Kewalo Basin (approximately 134 yards of shoreline) in addition to where they go towards the eastern side of the channel toward Magic Island (approximately 152 yards of shoreline). The proposed Magic

7 Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021

Island boundary of the “no casting” zone extends from lifeguard tower 1E across the channel to the corner of the reef. This would provide a safe entry/exit corridor, as well as a continuous zone for non- fishers to engage in ocean activity. It would also allow for fishing in at least a portion of the area where seasonal schools of fish are known to aggregate.

Figure 4: Designated zone where fishing with hook-and-line, except by hand pole, would be prohibited in the central area of the channel outlined in red. Fishing activities would be allowed in the areas of the channel outlined in blue on either side. Overall goals The rules established will promote management that allows fishing with methods compatible to sustainable harvest and other recreational uses of the area. Rules established for this area will reduce user conflicts and safety hazards by managing fishing methods that involve deploying a hook and line where swimmers may come into contact with fishing gear. The goal for this area will be to retain and enhance multiple recreational uses, including safe and sustainable fishing opportunities, and decrease user conflicts.

Timeline and benchmarks By November 2020, hold broader public scoping meetings and develop draft rules

By February 2021, request BLNR approval to hold public hearing

By March/April 2021, hold formal public rulemaking hearing.

By May 2021, request BLNR approval for final rulemaking

8 Ala Moana Beach FMA – DAR Draft Management Plan January 15, 2021

By July 2021, the rule should be in place, including posting of notices of the new rule.

By July 2021, swimmers should no longer be complaining about hazards posed by fishers and/or fishing gear.

By September 2021,monitoring of the area should show that user conflict has been resolved by positive feedback from resource users.

By September 2021, monitoring should show that fishers continue to use the area in a manner that does not result in user conflicts.

List of partners and community collaborators DAR, DOH, UH, PacIOOS, Makai Watch, City and County of Honolulu

Summary Summary of MMA status, goals, objectives and timeline for assessment

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