Projects
Mālama Mokoliʻi Island
Goals
Overview
Mokoliʻi Island, also known as “Chinaman’s Hat,” is a small basalt islet approximately 1,700 feet from the shoreline of Kualoa Regional Park. It is considered part of the ahupuaʻa of Kualoa. The islet is part of the TMK for the park and is therefore owned by the City, which is an unusual situation as most offshore islets are owned and managed by the State as seabird sanctuaries.
Mokoliʻi is not officially designated as a seabird sanctuary, but it is a nesting area for the endangered wedgetailed shearwater birds and should thus be managed as an important habitat area. The City has no experience managing areas like this and has no enforcement powers to control access. DPR’s policy for decades has been to discourage visitors from visiting the island. However, this is impossible to control. Many visitors access the island by swimming there or kayaking and canoeing. Some unpermitted recreational activities have been occurring here as well, with kayak rental businesses apparently encouraging their customers to go to the island. Many people bring their pets to the island which is a danger to nesting birds. The 1995 plan does not have any recommendations for Mokoliʻi Island management, although notes from community meetings suggest that even then, the community was interested in getting involved in its stewardship.
During this planning process, we had ongoing discussions with DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) on options for how to best manage the island. Prohibiting access is difficult. It was therefore suggested that as part of a restoration program for the island, the community organizations involved in the restoration activities also become actively involved in educating park visitors about the resources at the park and on the island to help raise awareness about why certain rules are in place. This is considered a much responsive approach than government simply trying to “enforce rules.”