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Makai Watch

Local Action Strategies

The goal of Makai Watch is to enhance the management of near-shore marine resources by providing community members opportunities to become directly involved in this management.

Makai Watch Projects:

About Makai Watch

The goal of the Makai Watch Program is to enhance the management of near-shore marine resources by providing community members opportunities for direct involvement in management activities. Predecessors to Makai Watch existed across the state as early as 1997, with outreach, education and research efforts at Maui’s ‘Ahihi-Kina‘u Natural Area Reserve, and later in 2003 with the Reef Stewardship Program at Wai ‘Opae and Coast Watch at Miloli‘i.

The DLNR has encouraged and supported community involvement in marine resources management for many years and officially partnered with NGOs to launch the Mauka-Makai Watch program in 2005. The Makai Watch component focuses on caring for near-shore marine resources with the active participation of local communities. Modeled after the successful Neighborhood Watch program, Makai Watch volunteers in communities statewide serve as the ‘eyes and ears’ for the State’s Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement officials (DOCARE).

The Makai Watch Program consists of three (3) main components, as described below. Each of these components has an associated training module:

1. Building Community Awareness with Outreach

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The Makai Watch Program trains volunteers to provide ocean users with useful, site-specific information related to the marine ecology, geography, culture, history, applicable resource regulations, safety, best fishing practices and proper reef etiquette.

 

2. Biological and Human Use Monitoring

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To encourage continued community participation, it is important that community members understand the condition of marine resources, how they are being used, and how they change over time. Makai Watch volunteers learn how to collect information on the biological condition of marine resources, and on human use of marine resources (boating, collecting, fishing, etc.). Volunteers will be able to monitor the overall health of the Bay over time, and become      stronger advocates for stewardship and pono practices.

 

3. Incident Observation and Encouraging Compliance

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While awareness raising and outreach help to reduce illegal activities, poaching and other detrimental activities are likely to continue in some areas. To reduce the willful disregard for laws governing marine resource use, Makai Watch volunteers are trained to accurately observe, identify and report illegal activities. Together, Makai Watch groups and DOCARE work collaboratively to ensure effective resource protection.

Makai Watch Groups

As of 2011, there are currently a total of nine (9) (I only count eight on the list) DLNR-recognized Makai Watch groups active in the State of Hawaii. A list of these groups and the areas they help to protect are listed below:

Puakō, Hawai‘i
Ka‘upulehu and Kukio, Hawai‘i
Ka’anapali/Kahekili, Maui
Pūpūkea-Waimea, O‘ahu
Maunalua Bay, O‘ahu
Waikiki, O‘ahu
Hanalei, Kaua‘i
Hā‘ena, Kaua‘i

How to Participate in Makai Watch

XFor more information or to get involved, contact the Makai Watch coordinators for your island. Due to limited funding and resources, the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, will not be establishing new Makai Watch Project. In the future, the following elements must be in place to be considered a Makai Watch Project.

  • Motivated community members to start up the program, organize community volunteers, work with the support of NGOs and DLNR to identify the project goals and strategies to address threats to resources, and raise funds to support the project.
  • A geographically definable marine area, including but not limited to existing marine managed areas such as a Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD) or Fisheries Management Area (FMA).
  • Broad community support and people who are willing to volunteer with the program.
  • An interest in and/or ability to raise public and private funds for the project.
  • Agreement with DLNR that the Department has sufficient capacity to help support the effort. It is particularly important that the local DOCARE office have capacity to support the development of a local Makai Watch Project.